AFTER?THREE DAYS of reports that prison officers were planning a sickout at the Dodds penal institution, Superintendent of Prisons Lieutenant Colonel John Nurse yesterday categorically denied that any such action took place there yesterday or Wednesday.
Different officers had told The NATION that they were unhappy over recent appointments and were planning a sickout.
They were reportedly livid over the promotion of eight prison officers, four of whom were former soldiers of the Barbados Defence Force. They charged that officers who had more experience, more qualifications and longer tenure of service were overlooked.
In addition, they said that the promotions process was supposed to be on hold, pending a review.
On Wednesday they reported that only half of the 30 warders who were listed for the morning shift reported for work and that some were forced to remain to augment the evening shift which was also short-staffed.
One prison warder who turned up for work told the DAILY?NATION the officers were upset by the lack of response from Government officials to their plight.
However, yesterday in a statement released through the Government Information Service, Nurse said that at no time this week did the complement of prison officers fall below the average of 150, and this included the days of the alleged sickout.
“Even today,” he said, “159 POs were on duty. Seven were on sick leave and only two of those who were on sick leave were rostered for duty.”
In further repudiating the news stories, Nurse stressed that “the morale of the staff has remained high and the officers were performing their usual duties, including those of escorting inmates to court, supervising work on the farm and conducting the rehabilitative programmes”.
The superintendent also revealed that Acting Minister of Home Affairs Michael Lashley his acting Permanent Secretary Guilford Alleyne, and senior ministry officials had visited the prison yesterday, meeting with him and officials of the Barbados Prison Officers’ Association and the Personnel Administration Division.
“We discussed the recent appointments and promotions within the Prison Service and the representative from the Personnel Administration Division assured the prison officers that those matters were receiving serious attention,” he reported.
He also said that Lashley toured the prison and was able to see the conditions of the buildings that accommodate both male and female inmates. It was shown that these buildings were adequately manned by prison officers, according to Nurse.
(PR/SP)
