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THE GENERAL SECRETARY of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) has defended the planned withdrawal of ‘goodwill’ duties over what he says is a lack of clarity about when staff will be vaccinated against Covid-19.
John Clinton said the union has contacted the government about the vaccine rollout on a number of occasions since last December, but has received no reply to their queries.
He told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that prison staff were “not asking for anything above the ordinary” and were simply seeking access to the State’s vaccine reserve list.
“We’ve been working in the thick of this since the commencement of [the pandemic],” he said.
“We’ve been asking since December and nobody will answer the question for us. We’re simply asking the question: where are we on that list? Are we on it? Will we have access to the reserve list? And can we have a small cohort of staff done?”
Clinton said that the union understood that other sectors were also seeking to be vaccinated on the basis of their work, but pointed out that unlike other professions, prison staff occasionally had to bring people into Covid-19 wards in hospitals.
“We are the only ones who have been put in that environment since the vaccination programme began, and that’s just not acceptable to us,” he added.
Last week, the union issued a statement to its members saying it was set to begin a “withdrawal of goodwill” over the lack of clarity about when prison officers would be vaccinated.
Officers had been prioritised on the former list, but this is no longer the case on the age-based system announced by health officials a number of weeks ago.
A letter issued to union members called on officers to adhere strictly to their duties in Irish prisons.
Clinton explained that this could impact extra work done by prison officers, as well as the re-opening of prison schools and workshops which have been closed during the pandemic.
For once I agree with them
I’m all for this, but would have like to have seen some examples of what’s considered ‘goodwill duties’
@Ixtrix Net: “Good Will Duties” is a misnomer of the Journals behalf.
Prison Staff have been requested by the POA to withdraw their “Good Will” in assisting the smooth flow of certain duties.
Much of this “Good Will” (going above and beyond what is strictly required) is like grease in the wheels of each Prison, making the daily running of duties much more effective and effecient, for the benefit of the Prison Management, Courts, and the Prisoners themselves.
@Mick.:
TY, i have been having a bit of a unusually difficult time actually pinning down exactly what’s entailed in the .. phrase.
From a story the next day, it seems prisoner transfers to the courts, are part of it,, and yet I had assuming that was part of codified duties ><
They are bloody well right.
@Franny Ando: who would they replace In the queue? Age has proven to be the biggest factor of being seriously ill and by far the biggest factor in death from Covid. If prison staff were prioritized, people in their fifties would most likely have to wait longer for vaccines and this age group along with people in their sixties make up most of the hospital admissions now.
@Doreen Murphy: they are not looking to be prioritized. They don’t want to jump the queue. They only want to know where they are on that queue and are being kept in the dark. I have a family member in the prison service and they are by no means looking to get the vaccine any sooner than anyone else. They just want to know where they are on the list.
@Doreen Murphy: age is one risk factor. Exposure to the virus is more serious
The prison staff should be vaccinated along with the police before any prisoners.. only medically vulnerable prisoners should be vaccinated at same time.. these workers are in much closer contact with people than teachers in normal teaching positions ..
It’s a critical role, they should have vaccinations immediately.
@Barry Wilson: i was surprised to find out that prison officers were not vaccinated, they are front line i would have thought.
I wouldn’t like to be on a sinking ship with anyone in the public service …. You’d turn your head and the lifeboats would be full …
@Martin Galvin: to be fair, the public sector are being shafted.
@Martin Galvin: nurses doctors ambulance crews firemen dole officers social welfare offices gardai. Which ones do you depend on. They are all public sector workers. Which ones do you think would fill the lifeboats.
@Martin Galvin: wow please explain this bold statement
@Adrian O’Donnell: how? How many public sector employees have been out of their jobs since March 2020 with no return date? Your use of the word shafted is a little inappropriate.
@Sarah Lou: with absolute sympathy to those out of work I have to say that working through the pandemic was no walk in the park and I don’t think people realise that. The worry of going to work with the risk of bringing home this deadly virus to loved ones, the guilt if some got sick because of you, the continuous precautions and hours in ppe, the constant need to isolate from your family and children because you regularly show up as close contact, no child care, home schooling, no option to work safely from home. Its awfull on those who were out of work but please don’t think those employed on the front line were lucky to be working.
@Cntcondone Stupidity: I am sorry I don’t believe you understood my comment at all. The other poster said the public sector has been shafted… That is simply not the case. Some in the public and private sector have worked on the “frontline” whatever way ppl interpret that term appears to be different. Some feel its those in supermarkets other the healthcare workers or ambulance service. But going back to my original post which has clearly offended you, there are more working in the public service than those who were working on the frontline as you have described. Many were and are at home working full time. Your debate isn’t public v private. Your debate is those who could not work from home. Going back to his point where the public sector have been shafted. That’s simply not true or if it is the private sector has then been detonated. But please remember not all front line workers are public servants. What you describe is awful but it wasn’t just experienced in the public sector.
@Cntcondone Stupidity: Hospitals management using ‘left over’ vaccines to vaccinate family members over nurses …. Public sector admin working from home being vaccinated before elderly and vulnerable…. Teachers threatening to strike unless they are vaccinated …. Now prison staff working to rule …. Will I keep going ….?
Fully behind this
They are being screwed
have your say