Prison officers are now threatening to work to rule to press demands for a $1,000 a month non-taxable duty allowance. Their action could affect the security detail for Prisons Commissioner John Rougier, court attendance, meals and visits of prisoners.
President of the Prison Officers Association (POA) Rajkumar Ramroop told reporters Tuesday his members want the same allowance that the government pays to police officers.
He said he has written to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has responded to say that the matter has been referred to Finance Minister Winston Dookeran.
Ramroop said the POA executive has asked for a meeting with Persad-Bissessar. "They have always used the police as the benchmark to give salaries to prisons officers. In this negotiation, there is a shift to move us from police. This is not in good faith," Ramroop said.
"We do the same job as the police officers. We are at risk even more than the police officers. We want to be treated in an equal manner with our counterparts in the protective services," he said. "Whatever has been given to the police should be given and afforded to the prison officers as well."
Ramroop's executive plans to meet POA members ahead of a meetings early next month to decide the next steps.
POA secretary Ceron Richards said, "We have given the Government of Trinidad and Tobago sufficient and reasonable opportunity to address that situation. We will not be begging any more, we are not asking anymore, we will take action on the issue.
"Officers are fed-up, they feel that they are not being recognised for the hard work they are doing, while they are seeing other people being recognised and being given some level of appreciation by the State for the work that they do."
President of the Prison Officers Association (POA) Rajkumar Ramroop told reporters Tuesday his members want the same allowance that the government pays to police officers.
He said he has written to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has responded to say that the matter has been referred to Finance Minister Winston Dookeran.
Ramroop said the POA executive has asked for a meeting with Persad-Bissessar. "They have always used the police as the benchmark to give salaries to prisons officers. In this negotiation, there is a shift to move us from police. This is not in good faith," Ramroop said.
"We do the same job as the police officers. We are at risk even more than the police officers. We want to be treated in an equal manner with our counterparts in the protective services," he said. "Whatever has been given to the police should be given and afforded to the prison officers as well."
Ramroop's executive plans to meet POA members ahead of a meetings early next month to decide the next steps.
POA secretary Ceron Richards said, "We have given the Government of Trinidad and Tobago sufficient and reasonable opportunity to address that situation. We will not be begging any more, we are not asking anymore, we will take action on the issue.
"Officers are fed-up, they feel that they are not being recognised for the hard work they are doing, while they are seeing other people being recognised and being given some level of appreciation by the State for the work that they do."
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