Media Release: Parklea Prison Officers to Strike Over Safety Concerns – 25 Jan 2023
25 January 2023
Prison Officers will picket Parklea Prison during a 48 hours strike over safety concerns commencing at 6am this Friday.
Parklea Prison has the worst record for serious assaults on Prison Officers in NSW.
Officers at the prison are routinely asked to work understaffed, especially on weekends.
They are also the worst paid Prison Officers in Australia.
The maximum security men鈥檚 prison is privately run by American multinational MTC.
CPSU NSW Assistant General Secretary Troy Wright says Prison Officers have serious concerns for their own safety.
鈥淧arklea Prison has the worst record for serious assaults on Prison Officers in NSW, and the second worst rate of assaults amongst inmates.
鈥淲e have recently seen a riot at Parklea Prison where prisoners started huge fires and ran around on the roof causing $8 million in damage.
鈥淚n the last year there have been three deaths at Parklea Prison.
鈥淲e know of Prison Officers being king hit from behind, having shivs held to their throats, being punched in the face, and having faeces thrown on them.
鈥淭he violence in the prison is due to chronic understaffing and the sad reality is everytime MTC doesn’t roster enough people they get to keep the money so they have no incentive to run the prison safely.
鈥淢TC said they could do Corrections cheaper but their only 鈥榠nnovation鈥 is to not roster enough staff on each shift which means prisoners are left in cells longer and do fewer activities which means they become agitated and bash staff.
鈥淭he business model of MTC is to make their money from their own Prison Officers.
鈥淭he current boss of MTC, Mr Troy Ittensohn, ran the most violent Prison in Queensland and it got so bad the Queensland Government brought the private prison back into public hands and clearly that鈥檚 what the NSW Government needs to do here.
鈥淚f MTC couldn鈥檛 negotiate a contract where they can鈥檛 turn a profit without putting their Prison Officers in danger then they鈥檙e clearly bad at business and the NSW Government should cancel their contract.
鈥淢TC roster their Prison Officers on most weekends because they don鈥檛 pay weekend penalties, which is another way they profit from their own Prison Officers.
鈥淥ur members also want staffing levels increased and a decrease in weekend work.
鈥淭heir morale is at rock bottom and most are leaving for the public system as soon as they can.
鈥淲e are calling on the Corrections Minister the Hon. Dr Geoff Lee and Commissioner Kevin Corcoran PSM to intervene directly and bring MTC to see sense,鈥 says CPSU NSW Assistant General Secretary Troy Wright.
Contact: Troy Wright 0405 285 547
Striking Prison Officers will strike for 48 hours from 6am Friday January 27th 2023. Prison Officers will picket the prison (66 Sentry Drive Parklea) between 7.30-9am on Friday and meet in nearby Davison Reserve from 9.30am. Media Welcome.