Workplace Report March 2017

Health & safety news

Ban on prison staff action


The POA prison officers’ association has accused justice secretary Liz Truss and senior officials at the Prison Service of hiding behind anti-trade union legislation after they obtained an injunction to prevent the union from withdrawing from “voluntary tasks” in its ongoing dispute over safety and pay and conditions. 


The POA is barred from taking industrial action but argued that refusing to undertake voluntary roles did not amount to industrial action. The union says it is deeply concerned about the implications of the decision and will take appropriate steps to challenge it.


“The fact is the injunction will not stop violence in our prisons, the failed recruitment and retention policies nor all the other disturbing statistics that are now common knowledge such as the increase in riots, concerted indiscipline, self-harm, drug availability and the lack of discipline and security in our prison system,” the union said.


The latest Ministry of Justice figures show that there were 6,430 assaults on staff in the 12 months to September 2016 (a rate of 75 per 1,000 prisoners), up 40% on the previous year’s figure of 4,597. 


Serious assaults on staff have trebled since 2012, reaching 761 in the most recent year.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/28/prison-officers-england-and-wales-industrial-action

http://www.poauk.org.uk/index.php?poa-news&newsdetail=20170301-981_secretary-of-state-hides-behind-anti-trade-union-legislation-in-obtaining-an-injunction