Press Releases

New rules that came into force on 31st May will remove legal help to road accident victims - but the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) has announced it will be stepping in to continue to support any member with a claim to make sure they continue to get specialist legal help.

In May 2021 Amina Memon and Nicholas Hardwick, from the Centre for the Study of Emotion and Law, at the Royal Holloway University of London produced their report into “WORKING IN UK PRISONS AND SECURE HOSPITALS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC”.

Following a workplace ballot on the NHS pay offer to our membership in the State Hospital we can confirm that our members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of accepting the pay offer.

Please see letter from the Staff Side Secretariat to the Prime Minister regarding the NHS pay award following yesterday’s announcement from the Scottish Government.  Below is the accompanying press release.

Health workers are currently in the final year of a three-year deal. They are due a pay rise in April.

Representatives of various legal professional bodies (including the Criminal Bar Association) and trade unions are calling for an immediate review of safety arrangements across the HMCTS estate amidst rising concerns that courts are unsafe and fail to implement measures to ensure that all buildings are Covid-19 secure.

In 2020 (prior to the Covid-19 pandemic), the POA commissioned a survey of members to examine their work-related wellbeing.

The Prison Officers Association have today urged Directors in the Youth Custody Service to suspend all face-to-face education provision with immediate effect until January 6th.

The Government has turned its back on hard working Prison Staff by rejecting recommendation 3 of the Pay Review Body recommendations. 

The POA announce today that Mark Fairhurst has been successful in his re-election to the position of National Chairman where he will serve a further five years from May 2021.