EPSU /KY-YS Prison Services Network Conference, 11-13 April

Trade unions working for better prisons services in Europe

11-13 April 2012

Hotel Anker - Oslo, Norway

(Being translated in all EPSU languages)

We are pleased to invite you to the next meeting of the EPSU prison services network.

The Union of Norwegian Correctional Services Employees (KY), the Federation of YS Norway will host and co-organise the event.

The draft agenda and related documents will follow shortly.

We look at recent European developments and issues of training (initial and vocational); working time; equality/diversity; and the impact of austerity measures on wages, jobs, staffing levels, trade union rights, risks of marketization, and imprisonment rates. We will keep time for working group discussions.

The Conference will start on Wednesday 11 April at 16.30 with a visit of the Oslo prison in Oslo.

The meeting point will be at the hotel reception (please see below).

A return transfer will be arranged from the hotel to the prison (ca 10-15 minutes walk).

A welcome dinner will be held at the hotel on 11 April at 19.30.

The event will end on Friday 13 April 2012 at 12.00 p.m.

Hotel and meeting venue

The Conference will take place at the Hotel Anker (please see map below),
Storgata 55,0182 Oslo - tel + 47 22 99 75 00
(see http://www.anker-hotel.no/articlecat.aspx?cat=1094; http://www.anker-hotel.no/en/articlecat.aspx?cat=1094; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDRc-jieVPc)

Airport transfer

The easiest way from Oslo airport Gardermoen to Oslo city centre is by the airport express train, ca 18 minutes, at a cost of 21-22 euro. The airport express bus takes ca 45 min, at 17-18 euro

Estimated cost for taxi from the train station to the hotel is approximately 12-15 euro

Meeting languages

Interpretation has been requested as follows:

Active (you can speak and listen to): English, French, Scandinavian/Norwegian and Italian

Passive (you can speak but not listen to): German or Spanish depending on registrations

Accommodation

Block booking has bee made at the Hotel Anker.

KY will finance the accommodation of up to 35 delegates for two nights on the basis of at least 1 delegate per country and of ensuring a good geographical balance and sectors in prison services i.e. prison officers and healthcare, probation, education. The secretariat will ensure a fair repartition. There are an additional 15 rooms pre-booked for Conference participants, these are available at 85-90 euro/night, breakfast included.

The attached participation form includes a section concerning hotel reservations. Please complete the form and return it to the EPSU secretariat ([email protected]) by 5 March 2012 at the very latest. You will receive a confirmation of your hotel reservation after 15 March.

Financial assistance

In addition to the above, for EPSU members in order of their affiliation obligations from countries under 100% on the ‘5 band’ index, EPSU will refund travel expenses on the basis of one delegate per country up to a maximum of €350. Rules are in appendix.

Meals

KY will host dinner on 11 and 12 April and lunch on the days of the Conference (12 and 13 April).

Participation form

Please fill in and return the attached participation form as soon as possible or at the latest by 5 March at the latest to [email protected] or by fax + 32 2 250 10 99.

Please do not forget to complete the section concerning your travel plan, so that we can coordinate your hotel bookings with our Norwegian colleagues.

Recent developments

Since our last meeting in May in Athens, as agreed , we have sent our comments to the Council of Europe’s draft code of ethics for staff (available @ http://www.epsu.org/a/8059). It is unclear at which stage the draft is at but please do query with your own government. We have also contributed to the European Commission’s Green Paper relating to detention conditions (available @ http://www.epsu.org/a/8356). All documents are available in English only.

- Invitation letter