1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 1: Now as I understand that the territory's correctional service officers 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 1: are just about ready to walk off the job after 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: a protected industrial action was declared successful. That's according to 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: the representing union and Erina Early from United Voice joins 5 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: me on the line right now. 6 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 2: Good morning to you. 7 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:19,920 Speaker 3: Good morning, Katie. 8 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 2: Hell are you not too bad? 9 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: Erina? Talk us through the situation as it stands with 10 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: our correctional officers. 11 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 3: Thanks Katie. So, yes, so you're correct. So the correctional 12 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 3: officers aren't happy with the four year wage freeze offer 13 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 3: from the government, so they've launched a protected action ballot. 14 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 3: It was successful last week and they will be considering 15 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 3: doing certain actions, which will include walking off the job 16 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 3: for a period of time. 17 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: Right, So, we could end up with a situation in 18 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: the territory where our corrections officers walk off the job. 19 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 2: Absolutely, when do you reckon that will happen? Erina, Well, 20 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 2: what we're going to. 21 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 3: Do, KD first is start off just with the smaller ones, 22 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,639 Speaker 3: because it's not just about the four year wage freeze, 23 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 3: it's about the lack of staffing levels and as you know, 24 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 3: the crisis that is on correctional service in the nt 25 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 3: SO we're starting off with safety ones where they're not 26 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 3: going to work, where they're not operational cameras. They're going 27 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 3: to ensure that they take their breaks because often they 28 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 3: don't get their breaks due to their workfload and short starting. 29 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 3: So we're starting off with those, getting the delegates to 30 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 3: talk to the media without fear of being disciplined, yep, etc. 31 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 3: So they're the type of ones who are starting off with, 32 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 3: and then we're going to build up towards walking off 33 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 3: the job. 34 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: Well, I'd certainly be interested to speaking to those delegates 35 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: because I know a lot of people listening will think 36 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: to themselves in the initial instance, they just want more money. 37 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: But you've made some really important points there about safety. 38 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 2: Tell me about those safety concerns. 39 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 3: The safety is concerns as many people would have either 40 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 3: heard on your shows well or in the media. Is 41 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 3: you've had the riots, you've had increased assaults to the 42 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 3: officers as well. They don't have enough staffing and they 43 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 3: haven't had enough starting for a considerable amount of time. 44 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 3: Alice Springs have not had a full staffing with thin 45 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 3: in thirty years. 46 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 2: Thirty years getting to a yeah, huge, So when you 47 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 2: talk about these staffing levels. 48 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: What kind of impact does it have because you know, 49 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: for a lot of people listening this morning, they will 50 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: have never stepped foot into a correctional facility, so they've 51 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: just got no idea. 52 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 3: No. So with the staffing levels, there's a certain amount 53 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 3: of officers that need to be placed on the roster 54 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 3: to ensure the safety of officers, the safety of the 55 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 3: prisoners as well, and the good running and security of 56 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 3: the prison. Unfortunately, due to having less amount of officers there, 57 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 3: so thirty or forty officers are missing a day in 58 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 3: Alice Springs. They can't fill them. They don't have the numbers, 59 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 3: they can't recruit to those numbers. 60 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 2: What kind of impact does that have on them trying 61 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 2: to do their jobs? 62 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 3: I have a significant impact. And so for example, is 63 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 3: they're constantly doing more than one role. They have to 64 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 3: do the job of two or three officers as well. 65 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 3: Sometimes as well, the prisoners also then don't get to 66 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 3: do certain programs like education or sport or something because 67 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 3: they don't have enough stuff. Prisoners get upset, they get bored, 68 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 3: they get angry, and then it could then roll into 69 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 3: like we said, like we strikes, sorry, riots and assaults 70 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 3: and stuff like that. 71 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I mean just a few weeks ago we'd 72 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: seen or we'd heard that there was a riot in 73 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: the Alla Springs correctional facility. 74 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 2: It followed on from that court case. 75 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: So I would imagine that you know that there are 76 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: some pretty serious concerns for those corrections officers. 77 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 3: Oh absolutely, And they're concerned that they deal with every 78 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 3: day and Corrections executive haveard knowledge the work that their 79 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 3: officers are doing with the limited resource and they're starffing, 80 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 3: so they're going to work exhausted. 81 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: Yeah, Erona, Why is it so hard to fill some 82 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: of these jobs? 83 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 3: I think especially correctional officers from people might not think 84 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 3: it's the best job around. Correctional officers in the NT 85 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 3: used to be the highest paid in Australia. If we 86 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 3: have this four year wage free, they're going to start 87 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 3: moving down the scale. They really need to look at 88 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:42,919 Speaker 3: some retention and the retraction with corrections, there's that fear 89 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 3: of the assault as well as the riots. So in 90 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 3: the last couple of years, as everyone knows, there's been 91 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 3: quite a few riots at both Darwin and Alice Spring 92 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 3: to prison Erina. 93 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: Is the government and the Minister at this stage coming 94 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: to the table and prepared to discuss these concerns. 95 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,720 Speaker 3: Look to be honest, Caddie is we've met several cases 96 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 3: with the minister with the wage free You get the conversation. 97 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:13,479 Speaker 3: Their hands are tied. I don't really accept that we 98 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 3: actually need to address the four year wage frees because 99 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 3: it has a flow and effect to the private industries 100 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 3: as well the staffing, etcetera. They're brought in a new 101 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 3: commissioner who like every time they bring in a new commissioner, 102 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 3: there's another big, expensive review, Kady, because they don't seem 103 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 3: to look at the old reviews that they've done. We 104 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 3: promised a lot and we never know everything's undelivered, So 105 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 3: I don't know. Yeah, there's a lot of lip service, Erina. 106 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: There'll be some people listening this morning thinking, hang on 107 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: a second, I thought that public servant scot that ten 108 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:55,799 Speaker 1: thousand dollars pay increase. But do the correctional services officers 109 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: fall under a different agreement or what's the situation? 110 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 3: Yes, So the one that you're referring to, KD is 111 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 3: the NTPs general yep. So that's a lot of the 112 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 3: employees under the hospital, those type of areas there. That's 113 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 3: the biggest government enterprise agreement. So they actually weren't offered 114 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:17,239 Speaker 3: a wage increase. It was a ten thousand dollars cash 115 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 3: bonus or I call it blood money to actually sign 116 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 3: off not getting a wage increase of four years. Correctional 117 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 3: officers have been offered the same and they refused it. 118 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 3: They want to pay increase. 119 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, Well, I tell you what, it sounds like 120 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 1: this is going to be a pretty concerning situation. 121 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 3: Erina. 122 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: You said that they're going to, you know, to trial 123 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: these other options before they get to the point of 124 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: striking or not going to work. But in reality, are 125 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,600 Speaker 1: we going to see our correctional officers not turn up 126 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: for work here? 127 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 3: I think the direction that we're going is absolutely yes. 128 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 3: We haven't met again with the enterprise agreements negotiation yep. 129 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 3: So really they've got four weeks to actually come and 130 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 3: start meeting with us to talk about the correctional enterprise agreements, 131 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:07,720 Speaker 3: but that hasn't occurred yet. 132 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: Well, Eron, I do let us know if any of 133 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: those delegates want to speak to us on air. I 134 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: know that you know that it can be difficult for 135 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: them to come out publicly and really raise those concerns, 136 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: but you know, we're talking about jobs that are incredibly 137 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: important ones, even like you'd said, the prisoner is not 138 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: being able to do those different programs. You know, we 139 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: want people to come out of prison better people. You know, 140 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: I'm not angry and up and you know, and worse 141 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: off because because they've not actually been able to try 142 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: their best to learn. 143 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 2: To do different things in there. 144 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: And that's what prison is about, or you know, going 145 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: into those correctional facilities is about. Is actually you know, 146 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: being rehabilitated as well? Oh? 147 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 3: Absolutely absolutely, and as well too, Katie. I'm not sure 148 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 3: if you're aware the firefighters commenced their protected action, yeah, 149 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 3: right last week. And also work is at Tamilla Dilbert. 150 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 2: Okay, so there's a few going on. By the looks 151 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 2: of ash, there is a few. 152 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: Well, do keep us up to date, Erina. I always 153 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: appreciate your time. Thank you for having your chat with 154 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: me this morning. 155 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 3: Katie, have a lovely dame you too. 156 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 2: Thank you. 157 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 1: That is Erin early there from the United Workers' United Voice. 158 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: And look, I know that some people, certainly some of you, 159 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: when you're listening, you get really upset or annoyed and 160 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: think to yourselves alive and how to pay increase for 161 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: you know, for a number of years, and I'm a 162 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: bit the same. I think I haven't had one, but 163 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,959 Speaker 1: I do totally understand that we're in a situation now 164 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory where with some of these jobs, 165 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: if you do the exact same job in another state 166 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 1: and you get paid a lot more money, how on 167 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: earth do we think we're going to attract people to 168 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory to do some of these roles. And 169 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 1: then when you look at the fact that you know 170 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 1: that those correctional officers are understaffed, so they don't actually 171 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 1: have the staffing levels that they should have, it does 172 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: make it concerned about the safety and as eron a 173 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:02,680 Speaker 1: rightly pointed out, there's been riots, there's been prison offices 174 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: who have been injured. We've got to make sure we 175 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: get these kinds of things right. And people do deserve 176 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: to go to work and to be safe in their workplace.