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| Prison officers staging unofficial walkouts in England and Wales | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Prison officers across England and Wales are staging unofficial walkouts in protest over plans to change the way they work. | |
| They say they have been "undermined" over proposals to reform the system of offender management within jails. | They say they have been "undermined" over proposals to reform the system of offender management within jails. |
| There is also concern over safety, with almost 5,000 assaults on prison staff last year. | |
| The Prison Service has said it will "continue to work closely" with unions to address their concerns. | The Prison Service has said it will "continue to work closely" with unions to address their concerns. |
| The Prison Officers Association (POA) told its members to gather outside each prison and hold an hour-long branch meeting between 08:00 BST and 09:00 BST. | |
| Prison officers are technically banned from going on strike but in 2012 they took part in walkouts over pension reforms. | Prison officers are technically banned from going on strike but in 2012 they took part in walkouts over pension reforms. |
| The POA says it is angry that its members have not been consulted over the government's plans to change the way prisoners are supervised during their sentences - which it believes could lead to redundancies. | The POA says it is angry that its members have not been consulted over the government's plans to change the way prisoners are supervised during their sentences - which it believes could lead to redundancies. |
| Safety concerns | Safety concerns |
| The planned reforms, details of which were released by the government in May, include allowing the governors of six jails to have full control over budgets, to decide which rehabilitation and education services to use and to be able to change the prison regime and the rules governing family visits. | The planned reforms, details of which were released by the government in May, include allowing the governors of six jails to have full control over budgets, to decide which rehabilitation and education services to use and to be able to change the prison regime and the rules governing family visits. |
| In a joint letter, the POA's national chairman, Mike Rolfe, and general secretary, Steve Gillian, write: "Once broken up from national service and from national policy, what changes will our members face and what protection will there be from abuse of policy and governors who have autonomy to do as they please?" | In a joint letter, the POA's national chairman, Mike Rolfe, and general secretary, Steve Gillian, write: "Once broken up from national service and from national policy, what changes will our members face and what protection will there be from abuse of policy and governors who have autonomy to do as they please?" |
| They say the reforms will lead to a diminishing of workers' rights and add that they make "no apology" for asking members to call the walkout meetings. | They say the reforms will lead to a diminishing of workers' rights and add that they make "no apology" for asking members to call the walkout meetings. |
| A POA spokesman said he expected between 5,000 and 6,000 prison officers to be taking part in the walkout, with the numbers showing the "strength of feeling" of its members. | |
| He added that members had been told to be "responsible" and that patrols would be taking place on prison wings while the meetings were taking place. | |
| 'Stable regimes' | |
| On Wednesday the BBC reported that prison officers at five prisons in England had staged unofficial walkouts over the past five months to raise concerns about safety. | On Wednesday the BBC reported that prison officers at five prisons in England had staged unofficial walkouts over the past five months to raise concerns about safety. |
| In May, four members of staff refused to carry out their duties at the Mount prison in Hertfordshire, while 40 prison officers at Holme House jail, in Stockton on Teesside, withdrew in protest about changes to the regime. | In May, four members of staff refused to carry out their duties at the Mount prison in Hertfordshire, while 40 prison officers at Holme House jail, in Stockton on Teesside, withdrew in protest about changes to the regime. |
| Further unofficial action occurred last month, when officers on two wings at Swinfen Hall in Staffordshire left prisoners locked in their cells because of safety concerns. | Further unofficial action occurred last month, when officers on two wings at Swinfen Hall in Staffordshire left prisoners locked in their cells because of safety concerns. |
| A Prison Service spokesman said: "We have well-established contingency arrangements in place to respond to any potential action and maintain stable regimes and will continue to work closely with the unions to address any concerns they have." | A Prison Service spokesman said: "We have well-established contingency arrangements in place to respond to any potential action and maintain stable regimes and will continue to work closely with the unions to address any concerns they have." |
| The spokesman added that the safety and welfare of staff and prisoners was "a key priority". | The spokesman added that the safety and welfare of staff and prisoners was "a key priority". |
| The Ministry of Justice announced almost £13m in funds to improve safety in prisons last month. | The Ministry of Justice announced almost £13m in funds to improve safety in prisons last month. |