Union Raises Concerns over Compulsory Extra Long Shifts for Prison Officers at Dodds Penal Institution

Union complains about extra long shifts prison officers forced to work

By Emmanuel Joseph and Anesta Henry

Prison authorities have formally asked the Government to compensate officers who have been working extra hours without compensation under a shift system that was first instituted during the COVID-19 outbreaks at the Dodds, St Philip penal institution two years ago.

In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY, Acting Prison Superintendent DeCarlo Payne gave the assurance that not only was the matter of compensation being addressed, but efforts were underway to scrap the “offending” 12-hour shift.

“What I can say to you is that that matter is being addressed by the parent ministry – the Ministry of Home Affairs – as well as the Ministry of the Public Service. This is a matter that was engaging [former Prison Superintendent] Colonel John Nurse when he was here. When I took over, it was raised with me and I would have done a proposal in relation to it and submitted that to the Ministry of Home Affairs and that is being addressed as I speak to you,” he disclosed.

“We put two options on the table. I can’t share because we have to give the government negotiators the opportunity to do what they have to do.”

His promise came in response to General Secretary of the Unity Workers’ Union (UWU) Caswell Franklyn’s disclosure to Barbados TODAY that prisoner officers were being assigned 12-hour shifts and had received no word on how this would continue or how they would be compensated.

He said that while the prison officers were legally required to work eight-hour shifts, having to work the additional four hours was physically taxing.

“This situation has been going on for some time since COVID and prison officers are crying out because it is very hard to work 12-hour shifts. When you work a 12-hour shift, you have to get to work early, which means you have to leave home way in advance of the start of your shift, and then when you work 12 hours, then you got to make your way home.

“So, basically, you are in a situation where you spend 14 to 15 hours a day either at work or trying to get to or from work, and that is not fair because there is no family time. And the authorities are dragging their feet on doing something about it. Prison officers are breaking down, they cannot continue to work 12-hour shifts all the time and don’t get adequate rest. So now, when the guys get sick because they are fatigued, that is another matter,” said Franklyn, whose UWU represents more than 50 prison officers.