Now Prisons Officers threaten protests

Yesterday, POA officials led by association president Rajkumar Ramroop, including general secretary Burton Hill and public relations officer Ceron Richards made their way to the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair to hand deliver the letter to her.

However, they were met by Persad-Bissessar’s security adviser Gary Griffith who received the letter on the Prime Minister’s behalf and assured the POA officials that Persad-Bissessar will have the letter in her hand within the hour. Speaking with members of the media after delivering the letter, Hill said this is the fourth letter the association has sent to Persad-Bissessar requesting a meeting.

“Since last August the Prime Minister told us to write her and request a meeting. Up to now we have not been able to get a meeting with her. This fourth letter is now delivered and if there is no meeting in seven days, it will signal that over the coming days or weeks this would have to be done. Prisons officers feel they are being treated unfairly and with scant courtesy,” Hill said.

He revealed that some of the issues needed to be discussed are non-cash items, such as housing allowance and security. “We have reasonable proposals put forward,” he said.

Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) Stephanie Lewis has offered a five percent salary increase to prisons officers, an offer the POA describes as “unfair.”

“Our major issues are salaries and compensation. We are presently engaged in negotiations with the CPO and observe that all organisations compared to Petrotrin, Central Bank enjoy between 12 to 17 percent increases. But prisons officers are only being offered five percent which is an unrealistic and unreasonable offer,” he said.