Community Corrections staff reject pay offer and talk of strike action
‘‘UNDERPAID and overworked’’ Community Corrections staff – the lowest-paid government workers and the majority female – have rejected a low-ball offer and are not ruling out industrial action, says their union.
‘‘An administrative officer can be on as low as $46,000. Some have been on that for years, so for them to reject any pay offer in a cost of living crisis highlights the strength of their resolution in getting unfair pay urgently addressed,’’ said Josephine O’Connor, who is leading the bargaining talks at the Public Service Association, Te Pā kenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
Eighteen hundred people from Community Corrections are members of the PSA, and 67% are female. Three thousand staff work in Community Corrections across Aotearoa.
After eight months of negotiation, an offer of 4.7% in the first year and 3% in the second year was rejected by an overwhelming majority,’’ O’Connor said.
Workers in Community Corrections, operating with ‘‘skeleton staff’’ were not
progressing from their already low starting rates, and one member had been on $46,000 for 11 years, O’Connor said. Their competency-based pay system differed from custodial Corrections workers, which they said was unfair given understaffing and high workloads.
Many ‘‘underpaid and overworked’’ staff are graduates or post-graduates with qualifications in criminology, and very experienced.
‘‘Community Corrections has the lowest-paid staff in the public service, yet they perform some of the most skilled and demanding work with the people of highest risk to the safety of communities,’’ O’Connor said.
A recent Corrections recruitment drive had focused on prisons and the department’s well-documented staffing woes had overlooked Community Corrections, she said.
Community Corrections staff work in courts, specialist residential services, and with people leaving prison. They currently manage more than 30,000 community sentences and orders, and 7000 electronically monitored sentences.
The PSA was considering its next steps and was not ruling out industrial action.
Richard Waggott, deputy chief executive people and capability at Corrections, said the department acknowledged comments made by some staff members following the rejection of the latest pay offer.
He said staff did work that few others would choose to do, and Corrections had always valued them.
Public safety was a top priority and the department had contingency plans in the event of any strike.
‘‘We are continuing to bargain with the PSA and it, therefore, wouldn’t be appropriate for us to comment further.’’