‘Serco is paying prison officers less than they would earn in Bunnings’

Overwhelming majority of Clarence Correctional Centre employees vote against new offer from Serco.

Workers at Australia’s largest jail, the Clarence Correctional Centre have rejected a pay offer by operator Serco.

And the union representing them has said as they head back to the negotiating table, the next step could be industrial action.

In what the union described as a ‘humiliating defeat’ for Serco, 82 per cent of votes said no to the company’s offer of $26.88.

Over the five day ballot, which concluded on Monday July 19, of the 244 employees eligible to vote, 206 exercised their vote with 169 voting to not accept the agreement.

The union said this offer, although an increase of more than 11 per cent on their current rate, would’ve still left them the second lowest paid prison officers in the country.

“Australia’s largest prison shouldn’t be offering the second lowest pay in the country – these prison officers know their worth and rightly rejected Serco’s lowball pay offer,“ Community and Public Sector Union of NSW assistant branch secretary Troy Wright said.

“The Berejiklian government promised that Clarence Correctional Centre would provide well-paid, meaningful jobs for the region when it opened.

“Right now, Serco is paying prison officers less than they would earn in Bunnings.”

Mr Wright said the pay offer also failed to include allowances, paid parental leave, and sufficient personal leave.

A spokesman for Serco said they were disappointed the Clarence Correctional Centre (CLA) Enterprise Agreement had not been approved by staff.

“The draft agreement provided for a wage increase of 11 per cent for correctional case officers and a one-off payment of $1,000 with the annual aggregate salary going from $61,602 to approximately $68,400 immediately (in year one) and increased to $70,110 in year two,” he said.

“It also maintained leave provisions in line with the FairWork Act and industry standards.

“However, we accept the outcome and will continue to work with staff and union representatives to work towards a resolution.”

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The spokesman said as the Enterprise Agreement was not accepted the current terms and conditions for CLA correctional case officers continue to apply.

“Our priority is to maintain the security and good order of Clarence Correctional Centre by continuing to deliver essential services that keep our staff, visitors, and the inmates in our care safe.”

Mr Wright said the union is now focusing on a protected action ballot order to permit industrial action, including the possibility of strikes, to force Serco to come to the bargaining table with a better offer.

“Serco is a Goliath of the global private prison industrial complex that makes its billions by squeezing every last cent out of contracts. But in Australia workers know they’re entitled to a fair day’s pay, and the CPSU NSW will support prison officers to secure proper pay for a dangerous job,” he said.

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“This is a maximum-security prison – it should have experienced officers on the best pay. Instead, there is a revolving door of new, inexperienced officers coming in, and forced to work long hours just to cover all the shifts.

It is just a matter of time until there is a serious incident and someone gets badly hurt or worse.”