Wildcat Strike at Risley Prison

Article published: Wednesday, November 18th 2009

Prison officers at Risley Prison in Warrington and at two prisons in Lancaster took part in wildcat strikes today in solidarity with staff in Liverpool, who walked out on Tuesday. The strike by hundreds of officers forced the governor of HMP Liverpool to bow to the pressure and agree to talks with the Prison Officers’ Association (POA).

by Caza No 7 on flickr The strikes started over allegations of bullying by senior management of HMP Liverpool. Though today’s wildcats were taken in solidarity with the Liverpool action, they also seem to have been prompted by concerns over health and safety at Risley, where staff cuts are being threatened to make up for a £1 million budget deficit.

Staff at Preston prison as well as those at Wandsworth and Cardiff added to the pressure by threatening to join the strike unless managers agreed to talks with the concerned parties. Mark Freeman from POA confirmed that since their demands had been met all workers would be returning to work.

“The Prison Service, after 25 hours, gave us what we asked for on the very first hour of this walkout. If they had given it to us then none of the other prisons would have walked out,” he said.

While the strikes went on the prisoners were said to be locked in their cells and the jail staffed solely by managers. The prison service claims that the facilities were safe and secure during the strikes, a claim the POA denies.

Patrick Smith

More: Manchester, News

Comments

Just shows if you stand up and fight you can get what you want.
Comment by Betty on November 18, 2009 at 7:25 pm

The comments are closed.

Culture

Halloween creatures invade Manchester early: chance to win two tickets to the Illuminaughty Halloween party!

A heavy mist suddenly falls on a darkened Manchester hiding from sight unspeakably hideous creatures. Drums can be heard in the distance lulling you into a hypnotic trance, the work of witches and daemons no doubt. Or perhaps Voodoo ring masters, descending onto the city streets armed with psychedelic beats banged out by their armies of musical Goblins possessed with the desire for mischief and fun. It must be that time of year again; it can only be the Illuminaughty Halloween party.

Science Slam: a synergy of science and poetry transcends expectations

Poetry and science are two things generally not associated with each other, in fact if you joined the two in a word association test you would be one step closer to a chemical cosh and your very own padded cell. However the audience attending the Science Slam at the packed out Nexus Art Cafe Thursday night will never again doubt the validity of the two pursuits being combined; though I can’t rule out they may end up bouncing of the walls of a padded cell at some time in the future.

Review: Greater Manchester Fringe Festival – A Dream Play

We were outside Nexus Art Café in the Northern Quarter, queuing, when a car raced up, the driver shoved a woman to the pavement and the performance began. This was the introduction to the character Aggie in A Dream Play by the Déjà Vu Ensemble, daughter of the gods, who has come to our world to learn what it means to be human.