Prime Minister Perry Christie, after what he termed a “very comprehensive meeting” with the Prison Officer Staff Association, has pledged to immediately address the conditions of living and service faced by prison officers.
Mr. Christie called it a “tragedy” that the Prison Officers Staff Association found it necessary to “act in accordance with the regulations” ﾖ as opposed to being on “work to rule.”
The officers are using the industrial action to protest their living conditions and the conditions of service.
The prime minister acknowledged that things might not be moving quickly enough.
“I know governments work slowly, but I have seen things in (the prison) thatﾅthe system is so slow to respond to ﾖ now Iﾒm going to fix that today, obviously using authority to cut through all the things that permanent secretaries find difficult to cut through,” Mr. Christie pledged, “going through all sorts of bidding processes and so forth and so on.
“But there are things that we can fix, help that we can give.”
Corporal Clive Rolle, president of the Prison Officers Staff Association, was pleased that Mr. Christie had at last seen first-hand what prison officers deal with.
“For the first time in the history of the prison, we have had the present prime minister come and tour our facilities. We are encouraged that yes, we got the ear of the prime minister; yes, he came and he saw the real (deal) as to what we do daily, and the hardship that we go through with every day,” Corporal Rolle said.
“And we are encouraged, and we are hopeful that he will make good on his promise and that we wonﾒt be working in those harsh conditions for very much longer.”
The prime minister noted that when he met with the association, the executives confirmed that ﾖ as the ministry and superintendent had advised him ﾖ there were matters outstanding that “could really be easily addressed affecting the conditions of service of officers of the prison.”
“A promotion exercise, or promotion exercises that have not taken place since 2000 or 2001, (and) other matters affecting one class of prison officers whose promotions ought to have taken place, and the ministry has already taken the action to ensure that it does take place,” he said.
“But those matters can be readily addressed and will be readily addressed.”
Mr. Christie assured prison officers that the government is committed to addressing their conditions of service and living and working conditions “in a timely fashion.”
The prime minister admitted that the requests to have prison officersﾒ conditions of service addressed by the government have not received the priority attention they deserved.
“I know that requisitions have been made, and in the context of the Deputy Prime Ministerﾒs effort, and the Prison Superintendentﾒs effort, those requests have been placed along with other requests, and may not have received the priority that they ought to have,” he said.
Mr. Christie said for this reason it was good for him as prime minister and minister of finance to be exposed to the prison officers living and service conditions.
“We have become the victims of very old facilities, that is very difficult to have a sustained maintenance programme on, and very serious contemplation must be given to replacing those facilities as quickly as possible,” he said.
The prime minister pledged to use his authority ﾖ authority he acknowledged senior civil servants did not have ﾖ to cut through governmental “red tape” and address the officerﾒs conditions of service and living “today.”
Mr. Christie also singled out the living conditions of single officers as a matter of priority that needs to be addressed immediately, a remark, which drew quiet applause from at least one such officer in the room.
By: Quincy Parker, The Bahama Journal
