Question reference: S6W-25458
- Date lodged: 9 February 2024
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Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 February 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03036 by Angela Constance on 31 January 2024, whether the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs is aware that the Scottish Prison Service reportedly plans to derecognise Community as HMP Kilmarnock’s recognised trade union, and what the Scottish Government's position is on such a decision.
Answer
The Scottish Government is aware of the Scottish Prison Service’s (SPS) intention to maintain existing trade union arrangements for public sector prisons and the transferring staffing group will be covered by those existing arrangements.
It is SPS’s view that their existing trade union relationships are working well and that to recognise a further trade union with collective bargaining rights for the same group of staff, i.e. prison officers, would unnecessarily complicate the trade union landscape.