Beven Hanlon, the National President of the Corrections Officers Association of NZ, is concerned about the lack of support that the recently recruited staff from Samoa are receiving.

Beven said that the local CANZ Pacific Island delegate has been doing everything for these Samoan recruits. From arranging driver’s licences, supplying blankets, accommodation and even picking them up for work from all over Auckland.
The local CANZ delegate has saved some of these recruits from loan sharks and arranged a meeting with a bank manager to come and talk with these staff.

CANZ President Beven Hanlon says that it is a concern that the Dept has recruited these people and not supported them in any way since they arrived in New Zealand. Any Corrections Officer can transfer to Ngawha and get a standard relocation package of $10,000. Beven went on to say it is disappointing to be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff and believes that a lot of these issues would have been addressed if there had been consultation at the start.

CANZ is trying to arrange an urgent meeting with PPS to try and negotiate some sort of support for these staff.

This media release has been authorized by Beven Hanlon
National President of the Corrections Association of New Zealand
Mob. 0274 380 442
Email: bjandbev@xtra.co.nz