Cronin House
245 Church Street
London
N9 9HW
Telephone: 020 8803 0255
Membership enquiries: membership@poauk.org.uk
General enquiries:
general@poauk.org.uk
The Prison Officers Association has reacted cautiously to todays announcement covering the pay of Prison Officer and Operational Support grades working within Public Sector Prisons in England and Wales.
The headline award includes a total increase of £2400 for Operational Support Grades amounting to a 10.3% rise and a 7% increase for Prison Officer Grades who are subject to “Fair and Sustainable” pay scales.
The most experienced staff who are classed as “closed grades” will not receive any award now or in the future because they will now earn more by “opting” in to “Fair and Sustainable” pay scales.
National Chair Mark Fairhurst stated:
“It is abhorrent that once again our most experienced Officers who are closed grades have not been rewarded for keeping the service afloat for the past decade. They feel unwanted, demoralised and deflated. We will work behind the scenes to see what options we have in relation to this stance. Those members who received between 7 and 10% will not be fooled by yet another below inflation award that will fail to convince them to stay in the service and will not improve their standard of living. Years of pay freezes and austerity now need to be addressed in future pay awards. We will now consider our options in relation to the failure to award a non-consolidated cost of living payment in line with other civil servants. Our employer tells us that this is because we will receive significantly more than other civil servants but that does not pacify my members who are forced to work excessive hours and use food banks because their cost of living has spiralled out of control. We will do all in our power to address the concerns of our members. The POA will not back down.”
Steve Gillan, General Secretary of the POA added;
“Once again, our members have received a below inflation pay rise no matter how it is dressed up. Our members are not responsible for the cost of living crisis but they are all suffering from it and to add insult to injury they have to wait until September to receive back dated pay which was due in April of this year”
Ends
For further information, contact:
POA Press Office 020 8803 0255 Option 7
Cronin House
245 Church Street
London
N9 9HW
Telephone: 020 8803 0255
Membership enquiries: membership@poauk.org.uk
General enquiries:
general@poauk.org.uk
Representing over 30,000 Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers, the POA is the largest UK Union in this sector, able to trace its roots back more than 100 years.