UCU escalates Covid-19 concerns

UCU has escalated our concerns to the Director General of Prisons, Phil Copple [278kb].

The response from HMPPS received on Friday 20 March does not address our substantial concerns around the safety of our members.

Mr Bickers states: 'prison education is a crucial service to prisoners and a key deliverable that enables prisons to continue running a stable and effective prison regime'.

Due to the imminent health and safety risks that this current crisis has caused, our overriding demand is that prison education is suspended along the same lines that have taken place elsewhere in our sector relating to face to face teaching. The general secretary of the Prison Officers Association, Steve Gillan has given the POA's full support to our position.

We note that chaplaincy services have closed across all sites. We have just heard reports that HMP Berwyn has closed its education provision. In addition, prison educators in Northern Ireland (NI) were withdrawn from their workplaces on 20 March on health and safety grounds following intervention from UCU with the NI devolved government (Department of the Economy). This was despite the provider college declaring 'business as usual' to their employees working in prisons whilst closing all face to face provision in colleges.

UCU is clear that education in prisons cannot continue whilst our members' health and safety is at such significant risk. We are doing all within our power to lobby the government and employers to make the right decision and suspend all teaching in the interests of their hardworking and dedicated staff.

We have received over 450 responses to our health and safety survey in the space of 72 hours, and we are now analysing the data in order to issue advice to our members and to prepare a report for the Justice Committee which takes place tomorrow.