22.04.2008
NATIONAL
OPERATIONAL MEETING
Hello all, below is a list of issues that CANZ have been invited to participate in.
Mt Eden and ACRP development.
This is a project that CANZ have been asking to be on for a long time. It is no secret that PPS want to combine the 2 prisons. The issue with that is PPS refuse to address the 12 hour shift situation that exists at ACRP.
CANZ has maintained a constant position on 12 hour shifts. This is the reason ACRP has its own Collective Agreement. If PPS addressed the 12 hour shift issues at ACRP we can then start looking at how these prisons can be combined.
The officers for this from CANZ will be Bart Birch Meg Lamont from Mt Eden and Uaea Leavasa from ACRP.
Corrections Officer
Uniform Review.
Yes a few of you will say this was done a few years ago and we got the vests, jackets, beanie etc from it. But that was just a tinkering of the uniform. This review is a complete look at whether or not it fits its purpose i.e. professional image and practicality of design.
So keep your eyes out for future updates and give us the feed back when asked. If you don’t have your say nothing will be changed. Elvin Brooking is looking after this project for CANZ.
X- Ray equipment.
It seems that the x-ray machines and also the new displays in most control rooms now could cause people with colour blindness to make accidental mistakes. PPS are doing some research into this.
Tactical Options
After years of asking it seems PPS has a position on options other than C&R. CANZ have been asking for work in this filed for a long time. We don’t know what is involved at the moment but are hopeful lots of the issues we have been raising are going to be dealt with. B Hanlon will be looking after this project.
Muster Consultation
protocol
For those of you that have been around a while CANZ have literally spent hundreds of thousand of dollars protecting our members with court action over muster changes in prisons. This has resulted in a consultation document entitled “Protocol for Managing Variations to Operating Capacity” being agreed to many years ago.
CANZ from time to time have difficultly with some mangers who believe they do not have to consult with us over muster changes, this document is very clear in that respect. This consultation is very important because it identifies what staff are affected and how they are to be managed by any muster increase or decrease.
PPS head office are attempting to produce a simple to follow guide, that managers and the local union reps can follow so that everyone is clear of who is required to be involved and when consultation starts. This will be done with the guidance of CANZ.
Main Escort Bus
As was said at ACRP during the waist restraint road show
CANZ have raised some serious concerns about the main
These concerns are now being dealt with directly by National Operations Manager K Urwin. CANZ are just collecting all the emails and letters that have already been sent and Karen is going to go over them and try to see what we can come up with.
CANZ have initially put 2 suggestions forward:
· Go back to 2 days to get down or up country instead of 1 day
·
Have a
second set of staff that start at Camps and then stay in
Further to this, PPS advised us that they have made a bid for funding for a purpose built transit facility at Camps. This means that camps may finally get a facility that is safe and secure for escorts of all classifications.
Increase in travel.
CANZ took the opportunity to raise this issue with PPS at the end of this meeting. We have reminded PPS that our collective allows for our members to be on the highest rate that IRD allows. We have asked PPS to look into what this is.
This is some work that we need to do and may require some serious lobbying of the government to get a move on this position. After all we all know that Petrol prices have gone through the roof and every little bit would help.
To avoid confusion this is the 62c a km when called back to work.
WDP
CANZ again asked for a review of WDP at all prison sites. We have heard rumours that this is going to happen. We have made it very clear that CANZ have to be involved in this process if it is in fact going to happen.
ARWCF
WDP is going to be reviewed as per the rules of new prisons. This will be done via the Post Implementation Team. B Noakes and F. Mohammed will be doing this. If you see them around make sure you make your thoughts known.
As you can see there are numerous issues that CANZ will be involved in over the coming months. This is just the new stuff to do; we have the waist restraint consultation that is almost
finished, the next phase has started already the Prisoner Vehicle Standards, the Administration Review, PEER Review plus most importantly the wage talks are still going.
Our advocate has again asked the PSA to come to mediated talks to see if there is way forward for the future.
On this and all the other issues we will keep you all informed of progress as and when it happens.
If you want to get involved join your local branch and get involved.
Regards
Beven Hanlon, Barry Noakes, Willie Cochrane & Elvin Brooking
National Officers