Islington Tribune - News: Prison officers

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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 31 August 2007

First strike by prison officers

HUNDREDS of prison officers at Holloway and Pentonville went on strike on Wednesday over low pay and conditions.
The national stoppage – the first in the Prison Officers Association’s 68-year history – took government ministers by surprise even though the POA had balloted its members for a strike.
At Pentonville Dave Turner, branch secretary of the POA said the action was being taken over a “derisory” 2 per cent pay offer. He claimed that in one area of the Victorian prison there are just two officers to 100 prisoners.
He added that there were on average three assaults a week and conditions are made worse by the prison having to accept high numbers of mental health patients.

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