Justice Unions Parliamentary Group

JUPG co-chair @LSRPlaid highlights union warnings today: “Thousands of the UK Govt’s own staff could face deportation because their pay will now be too low” under new visa thresholds – “such as #prison officers, whose going rate appears to fall short by at least £3,000”.…

Thank you Lord Woodley for raising these legitimate concerns of our members. I have also written to @ShabanaMahmood the Justice Secretary on the same issue of sponsored visas. Steve Gillan POA General Secretary

The POA are a fighting union and on behalf of 147 members at Gatwick we submitted an Employment Tribunal Claim on a pay deal that was imposed. I won’t go into detail as yet but we have won compensation of £5128 for each member after a unanimous decision of the ET against their…

8 reasons why we need sectoral collective bargaining:

Probation don't have the time. That's the problem. Expected to go above and beyond indefinitely with no reward. That's why we are balloting our members for strike action. @Napotheunion #PayProbationRespectProbation

“Can the minister explain why venture capitalists are making money out of educating British prisoners?” asks @BrianLeishmanMP, revealing that new #prison ed contracts in Scotland and England have been won by a subsidiary of US-based Clearsign Capital. @NicDakin55 agrees this is…

Responding, @KimJohnsonMP warns: “The Prison Education Service still outsources the same poorly performing contracts to poorly performing providers, with #prison educators paid less than in FE settings, causing a crisis in recruitment and retention” – asking: “Will the minister…

Replying to @KimJohnsonMP’s substantive question on improving the quality of #prison education, @NicDakin55 agrees this is “essential for rehabilitation, ensuring prison produces better citizens, not better criminals” and explains: “New Prison Education Service contracts will be…

JUPG co-chair @LSRPlaid warns #prison staff face “record levels of violence and work in such a toxic environment that, according to the #Rademaker Review, workers are too afraid to raise complaints about bullying and harassment” – before highlighting “today’s relaunch of the…

Condemning the recent attacks at Swinfen Hall Prison in her constituency, @SarahEdwardsTam highlights how “drugs, phones and weapons are often dropped in by drone” and warns of safety risks for prisoners and #prison officers. @ShabanaMahmood reveals tasers will be piloted this…

Having recently visited the Newtownards #probation office, @JimShannonMP says he was “very impressed – first of all, by the staff and the quality of staff; secondly, I’m impressed by the fact that they were involved in restorative justice issues between perpetrators and victims;…

While welcoming increased recruitment of #probation officers, @WarinderSJuss warns: “@Napotheunion reports that probation workloads are unmanageable, staff turnover and sickness is high, and probation officers are often managing cases belonging to colleagues.” @NicDakin55 agrees…

Continuing the #68istoolate theme, Gregory Campbell warns “there is an increase in terms of turnover, with #prison officers leaving early, while the problem of the pension continues” – and calls on Gov to “increase the intensity of discussions with @POAUnion to try and make a…

“The last Gov hiked up #prison officers’ pension age to 68 and then walked away from negotiations” @BrianLeishmanMP tells MPs, asking: “Will ministers finally get back round the table with @POAUnion to negotiate a fair pensions deal for their members?” @NicDakin55 agrees “this…

Shadow Justice Secretary @RobertJenrick highlights the “spate of attacks on #prison officers in recent months from Islamist terrorists” and warns the threat to staff is “intolerable”. Minister @NicDakin55 explains: “We are mandating the use of protective body armour in the…

Having previously highlighted at JQs how #68istoolate for #prison officers to retire, @SeamusLoganMP reminds MPs he’d been told @ShabanaMahmood “was awaiting ‘advice’ in relation to the range of terms and conditions and issues for prison officers” – and asks: “Given that I have…

“Channel 4 revealed that that contract with #Serco was fundamentally failing” warns @AndyMcDonaldMP, asking ministers to “consider cancelling that contract and bringing those services back in-house”. @NicDakin55 insists “all options are always under review [and] the Prisons…

Highlighting how #Serco was awarded a £200m Gov contract even after its £68.5m fine for tagging fraud, @JoshReynoldsSL6 asks “what a private company actually needs to do in order for the Gov to see it to be unfit to hold a contract like this”. Minister @NicDakin55 admits justice…

“Last year, 839 magistrates court trials and 186 Crown court trials had to be cancelled because the defendant was not brought to court on time by prisoner escort contractors” @CommonsJustice chair @hammersmithandy reveals, warning future reforms “will be undermined from the start…