Prison guards on strike after chronic understaffing leads to ‘racking and stacking’ of inmates

Darwin prison officers have walked off the job in protest of a government wage freeze they say has led to rolling lockdowns for inmates and ‘a really unsafe environment’ for staff.

DARWIN prison officers have walked off the job in protest of a Territory government wage freeze they say has led to rolling lockdowns for inmates and “a really unsafe environment” for staff.

Darwin Correctional Centre prison guard Phil Tilbrook said the protected industrial action had come in response to “constant” understaffing, resulting in staff burnout and the warehousing of prisoners rather than rehabilitating them.

“It’s a stretch to call us a correctional service when all we’re doing really at the moment is racking and stacking,” he said.

“We’re locking prisoners down through a lack of staff, we’re struggling to get them out for visits, for programs, education and work.

“There’s just extreme boredom now within the prison system for the prisoners and it’s just not good enough for the government to continue to run correctional services into the ground.”

Phil Tilbrook. Picture: Jason Walls

Mr Tilbrook said the pay freeze made attracting and retaining staff extremely difficult, leaving the Territory’s prisons reliant on overtime, which had now reached “a crisis point”.

“We haven’t been recruiting effectively enough for what we’re losing and now we’re so far behind the ball the even if we recruit heavily now for the next two or three years, it’s going to take that time before we can attract (enough) people,” he said.

“So we’re really calling on the government and the Chief Minister to step in and realise just how dysfunctional correctional services is and it needs to be an injection of funds, and that’s not just for our pay rise but that’s for prisoner safety, officer safety, and ultimately public safety.

“It’s extremely stressful, officers are doing huge amounts of overtime and a lot of times they feel they’re obligated to come in on overtime just to be able to cover for their mates on the job and in turn it puts a lot of stress on not just the officers but their families as well.”

United Workers Union NT branch secretary Erina Early said up to 90 per cent of Darwin prison staff had walked off the job on Monday, with further action planned for Alice Springs on Saturday.

United Workers Union NT branch secretary Erina Early. Picture: Jason Walls

Ms Early called on Chief Minister Natasha Fyles to reverse her predecessor Michael Gunner’s hard line stance on freezing Territory public servants’ wages for four years.

“We’ve got a Labor government here who says they’ve got no money, how can a government be broke? Individuals or businesses go broke, government isn’t a business, so I’m calling them out, it’s bullshit,” she said.

“We want her to stand in front of all these public service workers and give them a reason why she continues to have a four year wage freeze.”

Public Employment Minister Paul Kirby said the government acknowledged prison officers’ right to take protected action and would “work with the union and their delegates to ensure the safe and secure operation of all custodial facilities”.

“The Commissioner for Public Employment continues to negotiate in good faith with the United Workers Union towards a new enterprise bargaining agreement for Corrections Officers,” he said.

Attorney-General Chansey Paech said corrections’ top priorty was “the security, safety and wellbeing of all prisoners, employees and the wider community”.

“Both facilities will operate a restricted regime for the duration of the action, and social and professional visits will be suspended in both facilities,” he said.

Prison walk off over pay, safety fears and staff shortages

PRISON staff will walk off the job on Monday in protest to a four-year wage freeze, unsafe conditions and ongoing staff shortages.

The workers are expected to leave correction centres in Darwin and Alice Springs from 9am today.

The NT News understands youth justice workers are not part of the industrial action and will be helping maintain operations in the adult facility during the 24-hour walk off.

An NT government spokeswoman said prisoners would be put into lockdown, with hundreds of prisoners confined to their cells during the 24-hour walk off.

“Darwin Correctional Centre will operate a restricted regime for the duration of the action, and social and professional visits will be suspended,” she said.

“Contingency plans are in place to ensure core functions are maintained, including the delivery of meals and medications for prisoners, and the availability of staff to respond to incidents and emergencies.

“During this time, prisoners will be confined to their accommodation areas.”

This industrial action by the United Workers Union was announced two weeks ago.

NT Secretary Erina Early said workers would continue to take action, including rolling walk-offs, until their demands were heard.

“Corrections is in crisis, workers are already trying to cope with diminishing staffing levels, crowded prisons, lack of appropriate funding, riots and unsafe working conditions,” Ms Early said.

“Correctional Officers are appalled that the new Chief Minister has done nothing about the 4-year wage freeze for government workers.”