Parklea Correctional Centre staff strike amid staffing and safety issues

Sydney prison staff have walked off the job for two days after the privately-run jail clocked the second highest number of inmate assaults in the past year.

Staff from Parklea Correctional Centre have been punched and kicked by inmates, while one female guard had faeces thrown in her face.

More than 150 staff from the prison stopped work on Friday, after it was revealed the jail has the worst record for ­serious assaults on prison officers in NSW.

Privately run by multinational MTC, the jail has faced criticism over the years, with a recent report released by the Inspector of Custodial Services finding staff burnout, high numbers of assaults and long wait lists for inmates seeking medical appointments were major areas of concern.

The prison clocked 314 inmate assaults in the past 12 months - the second highest number in NSW.

The jail has the highest rate of assaults on correctional staff in the state and the Public Service Association of NSW says staff at the facility are the worst paid in the country, putting them at risk of harm.

Prison officers from Parklea Correnctional Centre will strike on Friday and Saturday. Picture: David Swift

Brian Kirk, a supervisor at Parklea, said the majority of staff at the prison had less than two years’ experience, due to the high rollover of staff.

“We’ve got all these young people coming in to work with murderers, drug dealers and rapists, he said.

“We have to tell them that they cannot open cells with less than three officers to ensure their safety - but because of the staff pressure they are opening up with only one or two officers at a time.

“We can’t have that. It’s a risk to their safety and welfare.”

Parklea prison officers say they are chronically understaffed. Picture: David Swift

Mr Kirk said recently, one officer was king-hit by an inmate and required hospital treatment, while a young female officer opened a cell and had faeces thrown in her face.

“This is what we are dealing with and it’s not right,” he said.

The prison has seen a riot and two fires, one which caused $8 million in damage, Public Service Association Assistant General Secretary Troy Wright said

“In that same period there have been three deaths at the gaol. It’s easy to see something is going seriously wrong.

“Only in the last few weeks a prison officer was king hit from behind. Officers have had shivs held to their throats and others have been punched in the face.”

Mr Wright said staffing was a driving factor behind the assaults on both staff and inmates.

“Understaffing is chronic and causing a lot of these problems. We know this gaol is short staffed everyday,” he said.

“The longer inmates spend locked in their cells the more agitated they get and the more likely they are to assault staff, or start riots or fires.”

Up to 150 officers will strike on Friday and Saturday, with staff hosting a rally this morning to push for safer working conditions.

Nurses at two Sydney private hospitals will go on strike next week. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

It comes as nurses at two Sydney private hospitals announced they will strike next week after negotiations over enterprise agreements stalled.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association said staff at Mater Private Hospital in North Sydney and St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Darlinghurst will stop work for one hour at 1pm Monday.

“Five months on and St Vincent’s Health has shown little interest in any good faith bargaining. Last minute cancellations of scheduled negotiations is poor form and has left our members in limbo,” NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish said.

“Our members are seeking reasonable improvements to their enterprise agreement, including mandated shift by shift nursing and midwifery ratios to ensure safe patient care, and a fair pay offer that acknowledges their work value as well as rising cost of living expenses.”

Staff will also limit the filing of paperwork and refuse to undertake domestic and other non nursing or midwife duties as part of the industrial action.