SA Employment Tribunal to hold compulsory hearing in a bid to end Government-PSA impasse
A PLANNED CBD rally of PSA members and prison lockdown will proceed on Monday after a lengthy SA Employment Tribunal meeting that broke a three-day deadlock between the State Government and the public sector union.
A THREE day deadlock between the State Government and the public sector union over a planned prison lockdown has been broken, after a late-night sitting of the SA Employment Tribunal.
But it is still unclear just who has emerged victorious in the post Budget blue.
Just after midnight, Commissioner Paul McMahon ended the impasse between the two sides that had begun following the Public Service Association flagging it would rally against public service job cuts and the Adelaide Remand Centre’s privatisation in last week’s State Budget.
To allow members to attend the CBD rally on Monday, the state’s prisons would go into lockdown.
But Treasurer Rob Lucas said the union was “unable or unwilling” to commit to ensuring minimum staff levels were maintained during the protest rally and took the PSA to the SA Employment Tribunal.
After three days, with the two sides reaching no agreement after going to the Tribunal — even though the PSA said the Government withdrew an agreement to recommendations issued on Friday afternoon, which Mr Lucas refuted — the State Government applied on Saturday afternoon for the hearing to change from voluntary to compulsory.
This was to allow Commissioner McMahon to make a decision.
After a six-plus hours of hearing, he issued orders to both parties.
It is understood some of the orders are confidential.
PSA policy and strategy manager Austin White said the union would not comment on operational arrangements to be made when the lockdown occurs, but said the rally on Monday would still go ahead.
“The PSA lockdown of prisons across SA will proceed on Monday,” he said.
“The PSA acknowledges the orders issued by the Tribunal.
“The PSA will continue to make arrangements for our rally and lockdown on Monday and to encourage members to attend.”
When he announced the State Government would be seeking a decision from Commissioner McMahon, Mr Lucas said they were seeking to guarantee the safety of the community and staff and prisoners that would be remaining in the prison when the lockdown occurred.
“We are looking for a fair description over what is minimum levels of staffing,” he said.
There is still a further option available to both parties, moving to a hearing in front of a judge, but Mr Lucas said he hoped there would be a satisfactory outcome.
“So prison guards who do want to protest can do so but the community is kept safe,” he said.