Have Your Say

• Public Sector strikes; one rule for some, another for others. Is this fair?

  Prison officers were today threatened with legal action for holding protest meetings  as up to 400,000 public sector employees, including lecturers and border control staff, staged a day of action against the government austerity programme and pension changes.
  
  The Prison Officers Association (POA) said the meetings had been taking place at “80% of prisons” since staff began work on Thursday morning and would continue until they were called off by the union’s national executive.
  
  Steve Gillan, the POA general secretary, said the union had been warned by the Treasury solicitor that ministers considered the protest meetings to constitute industrial action and would seek an injunction if they continued.
  
  The surprise action by prison officers, who are banned from striking, came as trade union leaders attended protests in central London for the first time in five years. Public sector unions held their third one-day walkout in 12 months, led by the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) civil servants’ union, health workers from the Unite union, teachers and lecturers from the University and College Union, the Nipsa civil servants’ union in Northern Ireland and Royal Navy support staff at the RMT union.
  
  Mr Gillan, claiming that the union had achieved its aims, said: “We’re extremely proud of our members for taking the action that they did to highlight the coalition government’s attitude towards prison officers.”
  
  Although the government said it would no longer attempt to obtain a protest injunction, it is illegal for prison officers in England and Wales to strike because they are defined as an “essential service.”
  
  “But they’re quite happy for prison officers to work on til 68,” POA chairman PJ McParlin said, insisting the action was legal.
  
  The POA told its members that from 07:00 BST only “minimum cover” should be provided in jails, but by 3.25pm they had all returned to work.
  
  Mr Gillan denied the industrial action had been ended because of the government's threat of an injunction.
  Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service (Noms), said he was “extremely disappointed” the POA had decided to strike.
  
  “The government has been in constructive discussions with the POA about further pension reform and it is deeply regrettable that this action has been taken now.”
  
  Meanwhile, around 16,000 off-duty police officers, who are also banned from striking, took part in a demonstration in central London.
  
  Mick Robinson, 57, who served with the Met Police for 32 years before joining British Transport Police as a sergeant, said he was supporting the rights of his two sons who are both serving Met officers.
  
  He said: “Successive governments have trampled on the rights of the police.
  
  “We’re the only people in the country apart from the Army that can’t withdraw its services. It’s a fantastic turnout here today.”
  
  •    Is it fair that some public sector workers are not allowed to strike?
  •    What do you think possible alternatives could be?