The Prison Personnel Branch of PASYDY characterizes the announcements of the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Costas Fytiris, for the construction of new prisons outside the urban fabric and for the strengthening of the Prisons Department with new prison guard recruitments as a "critical first step in the right direction".
In today's announcement, the Sector emphasizes that these measures respond to established, long-standing and documented requests from staff, while recognizing the Minister's declared political will to promote substantial changes in the penitentiary system.
At the same time, however, PASYDY sends a clear message that the current situation in the Prisons does not allow for any further delays and points out that chronic and severe understaffing, increased risks to the safety of staff and prisoners, as well as exhausting working conditions, have pushed the system "to the limits of its endurance."
"The staff has borne the burden of a system that functions marginally for years," he says, while calling for the immediate translation of the announcements into action.
According to Klados, "the Minister's announcements constitute a crucial first step in the right direction, however, we expect clear and binding implementation schedules to be set, vacant positions to be immediately promoted for filling, and the substantive participation of staff representatives to be institutionalized in all stages of decision-making and implementation."
The Prison Personnel Branch of PASYDY declares that it will remain an active and reliable interlocutor and ally in every sincere effort to modernize and upgrade the penitentiary system.
At the same time, it makes it clear that it will closely monitor the progress of the implementation of the announcements and will not accept the repetition of past practices, where the commitments "remained unfulfilled."
In conclusion, it reaffirms its full support for every effort made to promote the necessary changes and improvements for the benefit of the Department of Prisons, the staff, the prisoners and society at large, while noting that it maintains its trade union role and the right to make dynamic demands when the rights, safety and dignity of the staff are called into question.
Source: KYPE
