Prison officers and civilian staff at Westgate are threatening to strike over what they describe as deplorable conditions which are putting a strain on staff, has learned.

The move follows the Island-wide water shortage and a strain on the correctional facility?s air conditioning system. In the last two weeks officers and inmates have been forced to collect sea water needed to keep the toilets flushing. An anonymous source told that prison inmates are supplied with fresh water to drink, but the officers are supplying their own drinking water. The air conditioning is not working in several areas, including the officers? mess and classrooms. According to the source, repeat attempts to have the problem rectified have gone unanswered. Prison officers met this week for discussions, and the source said it is likely officers will strike unless the situation is rectified.

?Today Works and Engineering were asked to fix the system and to get it up and running. However, there is no fixed date on when this will occur,? the source said. ?Officers are going beyond their call of duty. This is a security risk, it?s not hygienic and no one, not even the Minister is acknowledging what they are doing.

He should be ashamed of himself for not even acknowledging what the staff are doing to keep this facility running despite the security risks. ?There is no date from Government as to when they expect the problem to be fixed, this is a piecemeal approach ? things are breaking down and no one is taking and steps to rectify the crisis at all.?

According to the source, civilian staff have a two day strike notice on the table with the Bermuda Public Service Association, over job descriptions the organisation has promised to revise.

Bermudian staff who have been employed with the facility for a number of years have yet to receive a revised job description with the BPSU ? a move which raises the level of pay for staff, particularly those working in supervisory positions.

According to the source, there have been a number of staff working in supervisory positions without the required level of pay.

?The BPSU have a deaf ear to what?s going on. There is a two day strike notice on the table at the moment, and staff are prepared to strike. Government promised the civilian staff their job descriptions would be revised last year and there has yet to be a meeting with the BPSU executive staff. The strike is imminent ? people are getting fed up.?

The source said retroactive pay has not been promised, three years after it was due, and a number of staff have transferred to other Government departments as a result.

Last night Shadow Minister of Home Affairs and Public Safety, Maxwell Burgess, said Government needed to deal with the situation immediately, due to the high security risk.

He said Government has continued to fail to devise a plan so the facility can meet the demands which will be placed on it in the future.

?We need to accept this is a max security prison and be cognisant at all times,? he said.

?We should be looking to give the officers a high priority as we can to ensure they get what they need to operate as a safe maximum security prison. The last we heard, in the Ministerial statement, the Prison Officers Association was working to resolve the issues. This is not good news, at this point we are going backwards.

?We should not put the staff or the inmates at any great risk. I would urge the Government to the extent there are outstanding matters causing staff to consider industrial action. We must swiftly come to grips with resolving this in the better interest of the officers whom we expect and who for the large part do a great job.?

Mr. Burgess, who is in the water supply business, said Government has a number of outstanding issues at the prison to deal with, including a plan for sustainable development in the Dockyard area, particularly since plans are in the pipeline to expand the cruise ship terminal.

He also urged Government to resolve internal issues with a succession plan. Acting Prison Commissioner Hubert Dean is currently holding the post temporarily. Government quango Wedco supplies the prison with water, but there is usually a limited supply in the summer due to cruise ship arrivals and businesses in the area.

Acting Commissioner Clyde Wilson did not return calls for comment by press time. POA President Craig Clarke also did not return calls for comment. Minister of Labour and Home Affairs Randy Horton could not be reached for comment.