G4S to Push Ahead with Unsafe Rosters - Victoria’s largest maximum security jail will again be hit with industrial action Sunday morning from 8AM as prison officers walk out over the commencement of unsafe rosters.  There’s not enough radios or keys and Officer numbers will be reduced in the prisons units but G4S will push ahead with unsafe rosters.  It’s a recipe for a serious incident with the private operators motives clearly just about putting profit ahead of safety.  The prison is expected to hold nearly 1500 prisoners by the end of the year after being originally built and designed in 1995 for 600.  The prison is literally bursting with these burgeoning nos and the roster changes are just penny pinching while price gouging the public purse.  G4S, the operator of the privately run Port Phillip Prison in Laverton, has refused to pull unsafe rosters they intend to unilaterally introduce this Sunday,  Our industrial campaign will therefore escalate next week with further extended stoppages and bans commencing on completing critical Government reporting requirements including; bans on the recording of out of cell hours of prisoners, bans on the taking of 'informal counts' of prisoners, bans on IMF files being relocated, updated or audited (individual prisoner management files), bans on the completion of formal monthly reviews of prisoners in their IMF files (any occurrences or issues that may present a risk would be noted), bans on completion of SDO 14 statistics on database or time sheets for prisoner workers.  PPP Officers will meet out the front from 8AM and the prison will remain locked down for an additional hour again on Sunday.

Fair Work Decides Not to Stay New Rosters - CPSU Notifies further Bans starting Next Thursday - The Fight Goes On!

CPSU's delegates, lawyers and industrial staff spent most of Friday preparing for the Fair Work hearing set down for 4.15pm yesterday afternoon into our application for an order to stay (stop) G4S introducing their unsafe rosters at the Prison on Sunday 6 July.  

After almost 4 hours of hearing (including witness evidence from our sub branch President Tony Raphael) Fair Work disappointingly decided not to approve our application.

The roster ban has been withdrawn by the Union as CPSU is pursuing the roster issue through other avenues so members that are rostered on under these new rosters for Sunday 6 July will need to report for duty at the appropriate time.

Members who are rostered should advise their OHS reps each time a health and safety risk arises so evidence of the safety concerns can be documented for future action.

Fair Work found that although there were serious matters to be tried, the decision not to grant a stay, was made on the "balance of convenience" and an interim order therefore was not appropriate.

These interim stay orders are always difficult to achieve however, but as a Union we had to give it a go.

The fact that our application didn't succeed does not mean members have given up the fight for fair rosters!

CPSU will consider amending its EBA claim to include better provisions for rosters and any changes will be put to members for endorsement.  

CPSU will continue to use all that options are available to fight for a fair outcome for members.

CPSU therefore notified another stoppage and further bans beginning 0815 hours on Thursday 10 July including a 2 hour stop work meeting.  

CPSU's fight for a fair EBA outcome goes on!

I urge members to continue to support their Delegates and each other by sticking together and continuing to implement the bans in a disciplined manner.

CPSU's PPP delegates and CPSU Industrial Officer Andy Capp will be having further negotiations with G4S management in this coming week and we will keep members informed.