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Ministers seek prison strike ban Ministers seek prison strike ban
(about 5 hours 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. The government will reintroduce powers to ban strikes by prison officers in England and Wales, months after a surprise walkout by 20,000 staff.
They will bring forward amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill to allow a ban, if a new agreement is not reached. Justice Secretary Jack Straw said he had "no alternative" but to seek reserve powers, if a voluntary no-strike deal cannot be reached.
The Tories banned strikes by prison officers in 1994 but Labour replaced the ban with a "no strike" agreement. He said powers were needed to protect public safety and prisoners' welfare.
The Prison Officers' Association last year pulled out of the agreement and held its first walkout in 68 years. But the Tories, whose 1994 ban on such strikes was repealed by Labour, said it was a "humiliating U-turn".
The Bill is currently going through Parliament and could be in force within months. The government is putting forward amendments to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill currently going through Parliament and they 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. The head of the Prison Officers' Association (POA), whose strike over pay last August took the government by surprise, said they would not be "bullied" by politicians.
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. Mr Straw told MPs the measures would be kept in reserve and said he would "much prefer" they never be used.
This is an emergency statement forced by a crisis entirely of the government's own making Nick HerbertConservatives He said he hoped the POA and government would be able to draw up a new voluntary agreement 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. In respect of certain absolutely fundamental services to the security of the state...you can't actually allow industrial action Justice Secretary Jack Straw
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. He said August's strike led to "very serious disturbances" at one young offenders' institution - Lancashire Farms - causing damage estimated at £220,000.
Brian Caton, general secretary of the POA, said claims about the cost of damage during the strike were "absolute rubbish". There was "significant disruption" at some of the other 129 non-private prisons affected, he added.
Later he told the BBC: "There's a clash of principles here. On the one hand the right of people to take industrial action, which in general, obviously, we fully support.
"But also, in respect of certain absolutely fundamental services to the security of the state, like the police, like the armed services and yes, like the prison service, you can't actually allow industrial action."
Mass walkout
Labour repealed the previous Conservative government's ban on strikes by prison officers in 2005, replacing it with a voluntary "no strike" agreement in a bid to improve industrial relations.
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".
Mr Straw said some professions could not be allowed to strike
The no-strike deal is still in force in Scotland.
Mr Straw told the BBC that when the ban was repealed, prison officers knew it would be reinstated if they pulled out of the agreement.
And while officers would not "be happy about it", he had mentioned it was under discussion last October.
'Not intimidated''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. Brian Caton, general secretary of the POA, said claims about the cost of damage during the strike were "absolute rubbish".
He said: "The government has previously announced that it made a profit of £64,000 during the strike because of the wages saved, so it's a bit rich to mention this now.
If the government is contemplating taking away trade union rights, they have to offer something in return Harry FletcherNapo
"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 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.""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 Harry Fletcher, of the probation union Napo, said the move would inflame the dispute further, adding: "If the government is contemplating taking away trade union rights, they have to offer something in return."
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. 'U-turn'
Labour brought in a voluntary "no-strike agreement", with the aim of improving industrial relations and repealed the previous ban in 2005. For the Conservatives, Nick Herbert said in opposition, Labour had fought "tooth and nail" against the plan and it was "extraordinary" it wanted to reintroduce it now.
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". Former Tory home secretary Michael Howard said: "Isn't this the most humiliating U-turn by the secretary of state, who personally campaigned shamelessly for the votes of prison officers in the 1997 general election by promising to give them the right to strike?"
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 Lib Dems, David Heath accused Labour of creating a "problem of trust" between the public service and the government and urged "clear, binding arbitration" to be set up to deal with future problems.
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 was a feeling, specifically in the uniformed branches of the public service, that they "are increasingly taken advantage of".
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.
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.