CIRC 101: SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY

The POA at its Conference in Eastbourne 2022 determined that in line with the TUC Sexual Harassment task force the POA would update its policies in its staff handbook and indeed in our Rules and Constitution to protect our members in their respective workplaces.

I serve on the TUC Executive Committee and I was privileged to be asked to be a part of a working group task force to move this piece of work forward. It is now time to formulate that policy statement of the TUC into our own Rules and Constitution and I am pleased that our delegates ratified the TUC work on this important work to ensure that the POA is committed to protecting women as employees within the POA workplace and indeed all women in POA membership irrespective of workplace.

Conference agreed to set up a sub committee to lead on this important work for the POA using TUC materials by the Women’s Committee, Executive Committee working group and reporting back to the National Executive Committee with a clear policy that is enshrined within POA Rules and Constitution and the POA Staff Handbook.

The sub committee to consist of Angela Montgomery Assistant General Secretary, Jackie Marshall NEC member and Sarah Rigby NEC member along with 3 POA women members from the field under my direction as General Secretary on this policy work.

An enabling motion by the 31st January 2023 will allow this work to continue and be completed by March 2023 for consideration by the NEC to place on the Annual Conference agenda for conference in May 2023.

I am therefore seeking expressions of interest for this sub committee. Please send expressions of interest to my office via nicola@poauk.org.uk by no later than Friday 16th December 2022.

 

Yours Sincerely



STEVE GILLAN

General Secretary

Representing over 30,000 Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers, the POA is the largest UK Union in this sector, able to trace its roots back more than 100 years.