Prisoner escort contracts show 'worrying lack of transparency' says GMB
Contracts with companies paid to transport prisoners show a 'worrying lack of transparency', GMB Union has warned.
The union has raised concerns over Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS) contracts operated by outsourcing giants Serco and GEOAmey.
GMB is pushing for recognised trade unions to have information about the funding allocated for wages, so they can negotiate pay offers on a fair and informed basis.
This request was recently refused by the Prisons Minister, who cited commercial sensitivity.
A recent case saw Serco propose a 2.5 per cent wage increase, despite indicating that the funding received for pay uplifts was 2.97 per cent.
Due to a lack of available information, GMB was unable to verify the reasons given by Serco for this discrepancy.
Andre Marques, Regional Security Organiser, said:
“The worrying lack of transparency around these contracts means we’re being asked to operate on blind trust.
“Currently, unions cannot properly examine the discrepancies between public funding provided for wage increases and what is actually paid to staff.
“We want to work constructively with the Ministry and contractors, but we need full transparency to do so.
“These contracts must deliver fair outcomes for staff and value for the taxpayer – the only way to do this is to bring the contracts back in house when they expire.”
