Overtime dispute finally set to end as prison officers agree to terms

THE long-running prison overtime dispute looks set to come to an end after prison officer representatives yesterday recommended acceptance of proposals.

The proposals were hammered out following 15 months of arduous discussions between the Prison Officers Association (POA) and the Prison Service, involving the Labour Relations Commission and independent arbitrators.

In return for the elimination of overtime and the implementation of new working arrangements, prison officers will receive:

An increase of 8% in operational allowances, which will be linked to basic salary and pensionable.

A lump sum of €13,750, on average, per officer.

A payment rate of 1.8, the normal hourly wage for additional hours.

Under the deal, prison officers agree to work on average 340 additional hours a year.

The decision to recommend the deal was made by the POA National Executive Council (NEC) yesterday.

The lump sum is €3,750 more than they were originally offered in a deal POA members overwhelmingly rejected in October 2003.

The total bill of the lump sum for the 3,000-plus POA members will come to €43.6 million almost €4m more than the previous offer.

The NEC yesterday said the new deal ruled out short notice call-ins to work.

The NEC said there would be no auxiliary prison officers or privatisation of prisoner escorts.

It said the deal would result in the re-opening of Spike Island and Curragh prisons.

A POA spokesman said the deal was "a major advance" on previous offers and provided members "with a reasonable way forward".

Copies of the deal will be sent out to all members and a national ballot held.

A spokesman for the Prison Service welcomed the decision of the NEC.

He said the deal would result in significant cost savings to the Service, of around €30m in a full year.

He said it would also bring predictability in terms of staffing levels.

He confirmed that the deal did include a new entry-level prison officer.