Prison officers pass no confidence vote in Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan

Prison officers who say they can’t get uniforms replaced after being targeted with human waste in Queensland jails have rallied outside the office of a state minister, passing a vote of no confidence.

Prison officers have passed a vote of no confidence in Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan, outside his electorate office this morning.

About 60 people rallied outside the minister’s office over staff assaults, lengthy wage negotiations, overcrowding and issues relating to safety such as body-worn cameras.

Corrections staff outside the office of Mark Ryan's office.

Frustrated officers and corrective services staff passed the no confidence motion with a raise of their hands after saying jails were the most dangerous they had ever been.

“We have officers who get doused in urine and faeces and we can’t even get them a replacement uniform,” a delegate said.

“I think we’ve spent enough time out here, we’re going to send a letter to the minister to let him know that half of his portfolio have no confidence in his abilities to run Queensland prisons.”

Opposition Corrective Services spokesman Dale Last said most Queenslanders would be disgusted to hear prison officers were being underpaid.

“This is an absolute insult to the men and women who we rely on to keep us safe from convicted offenders,” he said in a statement.

“Already this year we have seen prison officers stabbed, a 270 per cent increase in the cost of deliberate damage to our prisons and a 20 per cent increase in assaults on officers. Couple that with an 86 per cent reduction in new recruits, and the pay issues, and you can see why prison officers have been forced to take a stand.

“Our prisons are dangerously overcrowded and there are issues that have been ongoing for years now that have been virtually ignored under Minister Ryan’s watch. Recommendations of the CCC’s Taskforce Flaxton have also been ignored and that is yet another illustration of the Minister, and the government’s, arrogance when it comes to our prison system and the people who work in it.”

Mr Last said he had contacted the Together Union and looked forward to meeting them to receive a “full briefing”.

Dale

A spokesman for the Minister said two recent incidents where an officer was exposed to a substance suspected to be urine, officers received new uniforms immediately.

If significantly exposed they would be sent to the medical centre or taken to hospital for further testing or treatment.

“Minister Ryan is a strong supporter of safety for custodial officers,” the spokesman said.

“His support is reflected in actions this government has taken to ensure their safety, including: additional staff in correctional centres; updated use of force training; more severe penalties for assaults on custodial officers; the introduction of presumptive PTSD legislation and new legislation to increase the penalties for deliberate assaults on corrective services dogs; the roll out of vests, body worn video cameras, gas and the trial of safety hatches; an unparalleled and significant investment in prison infrastructure in Queensland; and the historic transfer of the last two remaining privately-run prison facilities to publicly-run prisons.

Wage negotiations were on hold until an appeal by the union to the Industrial Court on another state wage case called 12/12 which the union says is testing the legality of paying below award rates.