The Scottish Prison Officers' Association (SPOA) was the only official

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

representing operational prison staff in Scotland. The union was founded in 1971, when the Scottish section of the Prison Officers' Association (POA) decided to split away. It affiliated to both the

Trades Union Congress The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in England and Wales, representing the majority of trade unions. There are 48 affiliated unions, with a total of about 5.5 million members. Frances ...

and the

Scottish Trades Union Congress The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) is the national trade union centre in Scotland. With 40 affiliated unions as of 2020, the STUC represents over 540,000 trade unionists. The STUC is a separate organisation from the English and Welsh T ...

, and by 1980 had 2,344 members. For some years, the union was led by William Goodall, who was himself imprisoned for embezzling a death benefit due to one of its deceased member's families.{{cite news , title=Union man took £35,000 Prison officers'; ex-chief is jailed , url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12117632.union-man-took-35000-prison-officers-ex-chief-is-jailed/ , accessdate=15 November 2020 , work=The Herald , date=12 March 1996 In 2000, the union merged back in to the POA.

General Secretaries

:1971: John Renton :1989: William Goodall :1990s: Derek Turner

References

Prison officer organisations Defunct trade unions of Scotland Trade unions established in 1971 Trade unions disestablished in 2000