Prison staff set to clash with minister

Cormac O’Keeffe

Justice Minister Michael McDowell said there was "no question" of revisiting the deal and announced radical cost-cutting measures, including:

Privatisation of the costly prisoner escort service.

Permanent closure of two prisons, the Curragh and Spike Island, and permanent transfer of staff.

Removal of two institutions, Loughan House and Shelton Abbey, out of the prison service and the transfer of their staff.

Introduction of CCTV, automated gates and video links in prisons.

Almost seven out of ten members of the Prison Officers' Association (POA) rejected a deal to replace overtime with a new annualised hours system. Of the 2,818 who voted, 1,917 voted against and 901 voted in favour.

The overwhelming rejection came despite a strong recommendation in favour of the deal by the national executive of the POA.

The minister said the overtime bill in 2003 was E60m. This was reduced to E45m in 2004 following cost-cutting measures.

The proposed deal, involving further savings of up to 30m, would have involved most officers working 340 additional hours a year.

In return, they would each receive an 8% increase in pensionable operational allowances, a lump sum of E13,750 on average per officer and a payment rate of 1.8 times the hourly wage for additional hours.

The proposed deal was hammered out after more than 15 months of exhaustive negotiations between the Prison Service and the POA at the Labour Relations Commission.

Mr McDowell said spending in each prison would now be managed on a strict basis with monthly cash limits.

"Staffing will have to conform to those limits," he said. "The POA were clearly warned that this would be the consequence of rejection."

He said under the deal basic grade prison officers would potentially earn up to 70,000. He said 17 officers earned over E50,000 each in overtime last year.

The POA national executive will refer the decision to its annual conference in a fortnight's time, which will be addressed by Mr McDowell.

In a statement, the POA said it was seeking an urgent meeting with Mr McDowell.

"The rejection of this formal proposal presents challenges for all concerned and it is imperative that a constructive and workable way forward is found."