PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
Prison whistleblowing hotline (28 June 2020)

That this House notes that prison employers must by law take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health and safety of their staff; further notes that eight national trades unions representing the majority of prison staff have called for new best-practice safety measures, including a whistleblowing hotline, before current coronavirus restrictions are relaxed; agrees with those unions that there can be no going back to the intolerably high levels of violence suffered by prison staff before the current restrictions; further agrees that the Prison Service should adopt a co-ordinated approach to reducing health and safety risks by working constructively with all prison unions, including those representing non-directly employed staff; urges the Government to commit to intervening if necessary to prevent prison governors or contractors from enforcing unsafe working practices, both during and after the coronavirus pandemic; and further urges the Government to support a whistleblowing hotline and other proposed union measures, including a know-your-rights campaign, proper protection for workers who raise health and safety concerns and a commitment not to sanction staff who are genuinely unable to return to the workplace due to this pandemic.

Sponsored by:
Richard Burgon (Independent)