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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Ministers seek prison strike ban | Ministers seek prison strike ban |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The government intends to reimpose a ban on prison officers going on strike in England and Wales, Justice Secretary Jack Straw has told MPs. | |
| They will bring forward amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill to allow a ban, if a new agreement is not reached. | |
| The Tories banned strikes by prison officers in 1994 but Labour replaced the ban with a "no strike" agreement. | |
| The Prison Officers' Association last year pulled out of the agreement and held its first walkout in 68 years. | The Prison Officers' Association last year pulled out of the agreement and held its first walkout in 68 years. |
| The Bill is currently going through Parliament and could be in force within months. | The Bill is currently going through Parliament and could be in force within months. |
| 'Very serious' | 'Very serious' |
| But Mr Straw said the measures would be kept in reserve and only used if the POA and the government fail to draw up a voluntary no-strike agreement in the next few months. | But Mr Straw said the measures would be kept in reserve and only used if the POA and the government fail to draw up a voluntary no-strike agreement in the next few months. |
| He said the wildcat strike in August led to "very serious disturbances" at one young offenders' institution - Lancashire Farms - causing £220,000 worth of damage. There was "significant disruption" to other prisons, he said. | He said the wildcat strike in August led to "very serious disturbances" at one young offenders' institution - Lancashire Farms - causing £220,000 worth of damage. There was "significant disruption" to other prisons, he said. |
| This is an emergency statement forced by a crisis entirely of the government's own making Nick HerbertConservatives | This is an emergency statement forced by a crisis entirely of the government's own making Nick HerbertConservatives |
| He said he would "much prefer" the reserve powers never to be have to be used and hoped an agreement could be reached by May. | He said he would "much prefer" the reserve powers never to be have to be used and hoped an agreement could be reached by May. |
| But he said prison officers were in a similar position to police officers and members of the armed forces and the risk posed to public safety by allowing them to go on strike was too great. | But he said prison officers were in a similar position to police officers and members of the armed forces and the risk posed to public safety by allowing them to go on strike was too great. |
| Brian Caton, general secretary of the POA, said claims about the cost of damage during the strike were "absolute rubbish". | |
| 'Not intimidated' | |
| He said: "The government has previously announced that it made a profit of £64,000 during the strike because of the wages they saved, so it's a bit rich to mention this now. | |
| "We are not prepared to be bullied or intimidated by murderers and terrorists so we will certainly not be bullied or intimidated by politicians. | |
| "We will have to look carefully at what Mr Straw is saying." | |
| If the government are contemplating taking away trade union rights, they have to offer something in return Harry FletcherNapo | |
| A surprise walkout by 20,000 Prison Officers' Association members in August brought disruption to England and Wales's 129 non-private prisons - part of the association's dispute over pay. The no-strike agreement is still in force in Scotland. | A surprise walkout by 20,000 Prison Officers' Association members in August brought disruption to England and Wales's 129 non-private prisons - part of the association's dispute over pay. The no-strike agreement is still in force in Scotland. |
| Labour brought in a voluntary "no-strike agreement", with the aim of improving industrial relations and repealed the previous ban in 2005. | |
| But in June 2007, the POA told ministers they intended to pull out of the agreement, accusing the government of failing to deliver on "promise after promise". | But in June 2007, the POA told ministers they intended to pull out of the agreement, accusing the government of failing to deliver on "promise after promise". |
| For the Conservatives, Nick Herbert said it was "extraordinary" that while in opposition Labour had fought the ban "tooth and nail" yet were now threatening to put it back in place. | For the Conservatives, Nick Herbert said it was "extraordinary" that while in opposition Labour had fought the ban "tooth and nail" yet were now threatening to put it back in place. |
| He said there had been "crisis, incompetence and wildcat strikes" under Labour and said conditions for prison staff had "significantly worsened" over the last ten years. | He said there had been "crisis, incompetence and wildcat strikes" under Labour and said conditions for prison staff had "significantly worsened" over the last ten years. |
| He said: "This is an emergency statement forced by a crisis entirely of the government's own making." | He said: "This is an emergency statement forced by a crisis entirely of the government's own making." |
| Mr Straw said that was "nonsense" and it had been "under active consideration" for some time. | Mr Straw said that was "nonsense" and it had been "under active consideration" for some time. |
| Harry Fletcher, of the probation union Napo, said the move would inflame the row with criminal justice workers and had been announced without consultation. | |
| "If the government are contemplating taking away trade union rights, they have to offer something in return," he said. |