McDowell confident of victory in shootout

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell yesterday warned prison officers contemplating strike action: "You can't beat City Hall on this one."

The minister told prison officers the "extremely generous" overtime deal they rejected last week could not be renegotiated, even with the threat of industrial action.

"I would say to anyone contemplating that, that I am not for turning on this issue, and I will not be beaten."

Borrowing quotes from Jimmy Cagney gangster films, he added: "To use a phrase that has been used in the past, 'You can't beat City Hall on this one, there will be no defeat of City Hall'."

The minister made the comments while attending the annual conference of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) in Tralee, Co Kerry.

The prison officers turned down a deal to replace the crippling overtime problem in the service with a new annualised hours system.

The deal, which had been hammered out after 15 months of exhaustive negotiations involving the Labour Relations Commission and independent arbitrators, would have seen basic grade prison officers earning between €45,000 and €69,000.

The offer was recommended by the national executive of the Prison Officers' Association (POA) to its 3,000-plus members, but was rejected by almost 70%.

Opposition to the deal was lead by the 1,000 officers who earn two thirds of the overtime bill and the body representing retired members.

The issue will be the subject of a heated discussion at the annual conference of the POA next week and a section is expected to agitate for industrial action.

The minister has said he will not be attending the conference and published proposals to cut overtime costs.

This included the permanent closure of two prisons, the Curragh in Kildare and Spike Island in Cork, the transfer of two institutions, Loughan House and Shelton Abbey, to outside agencies and the privatisation of the prisoner escort service.

The minister said there were contingency plans in place involving the gardaí and the army if the association took industrial action.

GRA general secretary PJ Stone said the association "should not be used or abused in relation to any other trade dispute."

But Mr McDowell stressed gardaí would obey orders.

The minister said he "had no doubt" that the gardaí, as a disciplined force, would go into prisons if so instructed.