PSA pushes for safety of prison officials
THE Public Servants Association (PSA) says it has declared a dispute against the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), to ensure a safe and secure working environment for correctional services officials.
The association claimed that grossly understaffed centres have resulted in attacks and stabbings of its members.
Spokesperson Reuben Maleka said the conciliation process had failed and the matter was set for arbitration between August 26 and 28.
In those three days the association engaged with its witnesses and finalised its testimony, Maleka said
The employer, the DCS, as the respondent, began with its defence and had finished with the evidence in chief of its first witness, he said.
“The process is not yet complete, and the arbitration will resume on October 7-9. Members will be kept informed of developments,” he said.
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) spokesperson, Richard Mamabolo, said the union found “enraging” the inaction demonstrated by the DCS in addressing the long-standing challenges around fatal altercations that have been taking place across correctional centres on a regular basis.
DCS spokesperson Logan Maistry said during the last financial year (2019/20), 610 injury-on-duty incidents were reported in the department of which 12.62% (77) related to assaults of officials by inmates.
“Two vehicle collision-related fatalities were reported, and no fatalities due to inmate scuffles were reported,” he said.
Maistry said the safety of their staff was of paramount importance and DCS took any security breach in the correctional centres, including any attack on the officials, in a serious light.
“To assist in beefing up the number of officials on the ground, the department is implementing various measures, including re-employment of former employees of DCS (not retired officials), recruitment of SANDF reserves, deployment of DCS National Task Team, and employment of over 700 additional professional nurses to bolster capacity of professionals in correctional centres, as well as increasing the yearly intake at DCS training colleges.”
Maistry said they were proud of their officials, whom he described as “courageous professionals who work in a challenging environment”.