Caption: Lester Logie
By Alicia Chamely
PRISON officers are owed $150 MILLION in overtime payments, says Prisons Officers Association (POA) president Lester Logie, as the association highlights financial, administrative and safety issues facing its members.
Logie said the issues were not specific to any one government, adding that the POA had been “clamouring” for years to have them addressed.
Speaking with AZP News on Tuesday afternoon, Logie said the overtime payments stemmed from periods when officers were denied leave. He said time worked during what should have been days off was calculated as overtime.
Logie said the $150 million dates back to 2009, and includes overtime owed from when officers were denied leave during the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in T&T. He said additional payments were owed from the 2011 State of Emergency.
He said another issue that needed to be addressed with the Ministry of Finance was the current configuration of prison officers’ pensions, and the need for pension reform.
Logie said officers currently contribute to a pension system that allows for early retirement at 55, while the late and absolute retirement ages—and contributions—extend to 60.
He said with the Government’s plans to raise the pension age to 65, there was concern that retired prison officers could have to wait up to ten years to receive their pensions.
Logie said the physical demands and stressful nature of the job can shorten life expectancy, which is why the retirement age was set at 55.
He said the POA, along with the Fire Service and Police associations, had requested a meeting with the Minister of Finance to ensure their members’ pensions and wellbeing were protected.
Logie also said prison officers were affected by poor administrative processes related to their access to free healthcare.
He said officers were entitled to free medical, optical and dental care in both the public and private systems, but approvals for life-saving surgeries and other procedures performed privately were sometimes not being granted.
He said the POA had been footing the bill in some cases, but could not continue to do so indefinitely due to financial constraints.
Logie said a recent case involved an officer who needed stents inserted into his arteries. He said that while the officer waited for the procedure in the public system, he suffered four heart attacks.
He said the POA ultimately paid more than $100,000 to a private hospital so the officer could receive urgent care.
Logie said the association was told approval forms were being lost in the administrative process and were not reaching the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Homeland Security.
Finally, Logie said the POA was calling on the Ministry of Homeland Security to help ensure the safety of prison officers.
He accused the Commissioner of Police of denying prison officers Firearm Users’ Licences (FAULs). Logie said officers face threats to themselves and their families and believe they should be granted FAULs for protection.
He said the POA has had a related matter before the High Court for more than ten years, and is calling on the minister to help settle the issue and make the safety and security of prison officers a priority.
