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Safe Staffing Review
Over the past few months the Department of Corrective Services has been conducting a review of prison officer staffing requirements and prison operations throughout Western Australia – “The Safe Staffing Review”.
To date, Your Union has been involved in two rounds of discussions with the Safe Staffing Review Team. There is a clear difference of opinion between WAPOU and the Department about the approach they have taken which is based on creating benchmarks to standardise levels of staffing for a range of functions.
WAPOU have made it very clear that only an assessment of the actual workload performed will allow for the appropriate levels of staffing to be determined.
WA’S prison system is under fire after a comprehensive staff survey revealed fears about workforce shortages, misconduct, racism and bullying.
The Sunday Times has obtained results from the biggest staff survey ever undertaken by the Department of Corrective Services, the fourth-biggest government employer.
About 1800 employees were questioned as part of the survey, conducted over two months in late 2010, which found:
The WA State Government has agreed to halt the reintroduction of cigarette lighters at the Greenough Regional Prison while Worksafe assesses the risks posed by the prisoners’ behaviour.
ABC News 3 August 2011
Perth Now reports - In a massive backflip that puts the health of Prison Officers at risk from passive smoking, the Government has lifted the ban on cigarette lighters in WA prisons.
PERTH NOW Cigarette lighter bans lifted in prisons
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WAPOU on WIN TV news
WIN TV news reporting on the Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison announcement on the 8 January 2011.
John Welch speaks out in a Sunday Times story revealing that the number of assaults on WA’s Prison Officers is on the rise this year.
The latest Department of Corrective Services figures showed prisoners had attacked at least two staff every week between January and May this year.
The figure is projected to hit a three- year high of 114 by December a 30 per cent increase on the 88 recorded in 2009.
Yesterday I spoke about the devastating risks associated with the privatisation of prisons at a rally organised by Deaths in Custody Watch.
WAPOU strongly supports the Deaths in Custody Watch petition that was presented to the WA Parliament at yesterday’s rally.
The petition demanded that the WA Government terminate the contract of G4S – the private company responsible for prisoner transport in WA, and was held responsible for the death of Mr Ward in 2008.
The petition also demands that the WA Government return custodial transport to the public service, thus making it more accountable to the community and to parliament.
John Welch, Secretary of the WA Prison Officers Union
Our colleagues in Tasmania face an important struggle this week. Dozens of staff have been stood down without pay for refusing to work under changed conditions at Risdon Prison in Hobart.
These new conditions put the safety of Prison Officers under significant risk in the maximum security part of the prison.
On behalf of the members and Council of the WA Prison Officers Union (WAPOU) I extend my support to the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and the Prison Officers of Tasmania, in the face of the disgraceful actions of Minister Nick McKim.
It is astonishing that any Minister, let alone one purporting to support working people, would seek to stand down staff to avoid them being able to take action to protect their own safety.
John Welch, Secretary of the WA Prison Officers Union
Respect the Risk has secured an exciting win in the campaign to keep WA’s prisons in public hands this month!
Up until now, the WA government had been considering a plan to privatise Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison in Kalgoorlie.
Respect the Risk has campaigned to make people aware of the risks associated with the privatisation of prisons from the outset. And in December we launched a humourous Christmas Card email action with a serious message directed towards WA Premier Colin Barnett.
Last week, Premier Barnett sent us a letter – confirming that operational staffing arrangements at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison will NOT be privatised.
Read the latest news reports here:
John Welch, Secretary of the WA Prison Officers Union
It could have been the result of the constant lobbying, the media attention our Respect the Risk campaign got, the hundreds of postcards hand delivered to the Commissioner, or the hundreds of emails our supporters sent to Minister Marmion; the good news at the end of all this hard work is that we won the battle to get a good EBA agreement!
The new agreement provides 12.5% over three years maintains all our conditions and introduces a $44 allowance to be paid on top of all overtime.
We worked hard to break through the Government’s view that we should trade-off current conditions in order to get a better pay rise than CPI. We now believe we have secured this; and have not traded off any current conditions to get to this point.
- Overcrowding reaching breaking point at roebourne prison 2 May, 2012
The WA Prison Officers’ Union (WAPOU) has called on the Barnett Government to act immediately to address the chronic overcrowding at Roebourne Regional Prison. WAPOU Secretary John Welch said new facilities were urgently needed at Roebourne Prison...
- New Eastern Goldfields Prison now in jeopardy thanks to new budget cuts 19 April, 2012
The future of the planned new Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison is now in jeopardy as a result of the Barnett Government’s announcement this week of funding cuts to the Department of Corrective Services. “The prison system faces funding cuts of...
- WA community at risk from new government cuts to prisons 18 April, 2012
The Barnett Government’s announcement yesterday of a 2% funding cut to the Department of Corrective Services this year and further cuts of 3% over coming years puts the Western Australian community further at risk says WA Prison Officers’ Union Sec...
- WAPOU challenges government to come clean about the details of the contract with Serco 27 March, 2012
WAPOU Secretary John Welch called for the government to release the details of its contract with Serco for the provision of privatised Prison services at Rangeview facility. He said that recent revelations that Serco intended to fulfil its contract ...
- Prison Officers to highlight dangerous levels of overcrowding at Bunbury Regional Prison 14 March, 2012
WA Prison Officers Union officials will tomorrow (March 15th) visit the Bunbury Regional Prison to investigate staffing levels and potentially dangerous conditions at the prison. WAPOU Secretary John Welch said the independent Inspector of Custodi...
