IWOC Members Issue Grievance to HMP Swaleside
08/01/2025
The following letter has been submitted by the IWW to the Governor of HMP Swaleside, Lee-Ann Williams, on the 8th Jan 2025:
For the attention of Governor Lee-Ann Williams,
We are contacting you as union representatives from the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and the
Incarcerated Workers Organising Committee (IWOC) on behalf of our members within HMP Swaleside.
We are writing to you to request a meeting to discuss and resolve several issues and complaints by our
union members within Swaleside.
Grievances:
Unclear scheduling and inconsistencies by the regime for cleaners.
Cleaners are often being told different work times by different prison staff meaning unsure how long they
will be out of cell before being banged up again. Creating stress as unsure of routine and creating tension
with prison staff. This is made worse by low staffing on the G wing South and West meaning sometimes
inmates are locked up all day or not able to work their regular hours.
There are serious issues with supply and sanitation at Swaleside.
The cleaning budget for the 186 prisoners in G wing is about £1,000 a month. About £10,300 for the whole prison. This is split into a hard-core budget for supplies issued to cleaning staff and a general budget for individuals. This budget is not enough to last the month, causing a shortage of cleaning chemicals, clean mopheads, brushes, bin bags, toilet roll.
Prisoners can’t get hold of basics for personal hygiene like shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste as a large part of personal sanitation costs is included in the budget.
Our members are demanding an increase to the cleaning budget to improve prison sanitation.
The waste collection at the prison is not being handled properly.
Rotting food and trash is not collected and left out in courtyards causing a disgusting smell. Prisoners say
that they don’t want to open windows because of how bad the smell is. Drainage is blocked up, sometimes bubbling up and backing up in the showers and toilets.
Several prisoners who have been allowed kettles, phones, TVs by the CMs and SOs are having these held
back from them. This seems to be due to a lack of communication between prison staff. Our members
would like these delays resolved swiftly.
Work within the prison does not pay enough to cover costs.
Work at the prison is being carried out for many large companies, allegedly including Virgin Airlines, DHL,
Tesco and Sainsburys. Cleaners are paid as little as £1 each session (usually between 2-3 hours). Workers in construction workshops earn around £2.35 a session.
Prisoners feel that the wages have dropped and the costs of items within the prison have increased. A small box of vapes costs £3.89, £4.75 for 12 washing tablets, £8 for a bottle of fairy liquid. It is also claimed that for every 60p a prisoner earns, 20p is taken to pay for the prison’s TV license. In comparison to these costs which are as expensive as you would find outside of the prison, wages for prison work are shamefully low.
Members argue that their labour is not adequately compensated. Incarcerated workers are asking for their labour to be compensated like any other worker and that they should be paid at least the UK minimum wage.
We remain hopeful that this dispute can be resolved amicably, and to this end this letter is sent in a genuine good faith effort to resolve the dispute.
To avoid further action, we request you acknowledge this email to arrange a meeting with a union
representative from the IWW within the next 14 days to discuss these matters further with you and to
ensure fair treatment for our members.
Kind regards,
Alexander King
Co-Secretary
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
Ryan Roberts
A5155EM
IWW Incarcerated Workers Organising Committee
