CPO signs grievance MoA with Prison, Police Association

CHIEF Personnel Officer (CPO) Dr Daryl Dindial signed memoranda of agreement (MoA) with the Prison Officers Association (POA) and Police Social and Welfare Association (PSWA) to establish formal grievance procedures for their officers, said a Personnel Department statement on Wednesday.

The statement said, "The signing of the MoA’s reinforced the State’s commitment to treating with dissatisfaction among officers caused by the inaccurate interpretation and administration of their terms and conditions, and undue delays in the resolution of complaints made."

It added that the associations were reminded that the grievance procedures relate only to issues within the Personnel Department's statutory remit.

The statement said Dindial said a full training programme will be run for about 100 individuals including the leadership of the two associations and Ministry of National Security staff to educate them on the purpose and use of these procedures before their implementation next March.

"The CPO envisions that the training will allow for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the formal procedure to be adopted by the persons charged with the responsibility of resolving disputes in a timely and efficient manner, thereby minimising errors in administration."

Dindial warned that if matters were referred to the Personnel Department or the Minister of Finance without being properly addressed by the ministry's administration, or were not within the Personnel Department's statutory remit, they would be returned to the parties to be rectified.

He said leaders should not evade their responsibilities to address grievances affecting the lives and well-being of officers.

The CPO acknowledged the potential impact these procedures could have in addressing matters of concern for police and prisons officers.

He said keen awareness by administrators of the application of terms and conditions of officers was a basic requirement to allow for grievances to be minimised and resolved.

Dindial thanked the associations for advocating for the establishment of these procedures based on their assessment of the many issues impacting their members.