Source : Perth Now news
Staff at Queensland’s youth detention centres will again walk off the job amid allegations there were more than 500 attacks on workers in the past year alone.
Australian Workers Union Youth Detention Centre members, including in Brisbane and Townsville, will launch seven days of rolling strikes from 7am on Monday, intensifying pressure on talks with the state government.
The week-long action will begin with a 12-hour work stoppage on Monday.
Subsequent stoppages will range from one to 12 hours through the rest of the week, the union said.
AWU Queensland Acting Secretary Mark Raguse said the “drastic step” came amid calls on Premier David Crisafulli to “deliver an offer that recognises and respects their youth justice frontline”.
Corrective Services Minister Laura Gerber has “repeatedly claimed that the government are negotiating in good faith”, he said.
“But, they have just filed for conciliation at the QIRC (Queensland Industrial Relations Commission), without having put a reasonable offer on the table.
“The violence our members experience would not be acceptable in any other workplace in Queensland.”
Mr Raguse said Mr Crisafulli and Ms Gerber were “meeting with victims of crime across Queensland”.
“I encourage them to stop in Wacol and Townsville and speak to their employees who have become victims of crime in their own workplaces,” he said.
“The government’s changes to bail laws will fail if they don’t protect and strengthen their workforce.”
The AWU reported at least 14 serious alleged staff assaults in the past seven days, including alleged head punches, a bite which drew blood, and urine thrown at a staff member.
In the past 12 months, there have been more than 500 serious alleged assaults, the union said.
The AWU has been in protracted negotiations over pay and safety disputes. Workers earlier took industrial action in August.
Ms Gerber earlier indicated the government’s willingness to negotiate” in good faith”, and said it had delivered more workers and increased capacity.
