Black Friday POVB Industrial Action – April 2018 (PDF version)

Long Bay Correctional Complex met on today Friday, 13 April, 2018 (Black Friday) regarding the job cuts CSNSW is pushing under the guise of benchmarking.

MSPC 1-4 – will lose 50 staff

Long Bay Hospital 1-2 – will lose 41 staff

PSA has received information through GIPA clearly showing that assaults around the state have risen in each location by 20 per cent. The centres at the Long Bay complex assaults have risen by more than 25 per cent. Yet this Government and CSNSW think it is acceptable to take 91 staff out of the Long Bay Complex.

MSPC 1-4 and Long Bay Hospital 1-2 have done everything that CSNSW has asked them to do. They have consulted, they have done risk assessments and they have looked at the KPIs.  Both Benchmarking Committees have stated they need more staff yet CSNSW is not listening to the concerns nor is it alleviating them.

At 8:50am, Friday 13 April 2018, Long Bay Complex went out on strike and asked for state-wide support. The support they received was resounding and clearly shows POVB members are not happy with their current working conditions.

It was a proud day for the POVB and clearly shows we are united and we have had enough.

There were several media releases and a press conference was held at the back of Parliament House. The message was clear; the POVB feels job cuts put staff at risk and we perform a valuable role for NSW.

I commend the POVB and the stance that we took on Friday.

Moving forward there are several issues we need to address from Friday:

• Better communication
• Revise and update strike rosters for Kempsey, Dillwynia and Wellington.
• Do a strike roster for John Morony. This had not been completed or even started. John Morony was in support but in the tender process it clearly states they are to have a strike roster. The confusion over this was extreme and I apologise to the members and the delegates as myself and Jason just did not have time to help them. Our phones were running hot and we were doing constant media. As I have stated previously they were in support and wanted to go.
• Have a detailed and planned campaign moving forward – Jason and I will be liaising with PSA and will be coming around to all locations to inform members and get ideas also.

#RespectTheRisk
#POVB

Nicole Jess – Chair POVB