Face of Nation : Tasmania’s prison officers haven’t ruled out more strikes, angry about inmate overcrowding and a government pay offer.
About 80 staff staged a two-hour stop work meeting at Hobart’s Risdon Prison on Tuesday and more industrial action is likely.
The public sector union says prisons on the island are overflowing and staffing levels have failed to keep up with a 30 per cent increase in inmates over the past three-to-four years.
Tasmania’s Community and Public Sector Union boss Tom Lynch said this had led to rolling prison lockdowns, which heightened tensions and placed staff under extreme pressure.
Prison officers are also angry about the government’s one-year pay rise offer of 2.1 per cent for public sector workers, with unions demanding 2.5 per cent.
Workers are expected to meet with union officials again on Wednesday to nut out their next steps, likely to include more strikes among other industrial action.
Corrections Minister Elise Archer said she was disappointed unions chose to disrupt the prison system, resulting in more lockdowns and prisoners being unable to access some services.
Ms Archer said there had been a major recruitment drive for more staff.
It comes as Tasmania’s health workers also put pressure on the state Liberal government, saying the system is chronically under-resourced.
“This means patients miss out and vulnerable Tasmanians fall through the cracks,” Health and Community Services Union assistant secretary Robbie Moore said.
