More prison officers assaulted yet the Barnett Government still refusing to negotiate

Another three prison officers were assaulted at Greenough Regional Prison over the weekend after intervening to stop a fight between notorious wheelie-bin killer Valerie Parashumti and another prisoner.

The three injured officers all required medical attention after being attacked and punched in the head breaking up the fight between the prisoners.

WA Prison Officers’ Union Secretary John Welch said the assaults were the latest in a long list of attacks against prison officers who were just doing their job helping protect the WA community.

Mr Welch said the latest attacks at the overcrowded Greenough Prison put further pressure on the Barnett Government to sit down with the union to discuss the concerns of prison officers.

“Every day prison officers face great risk dealing with the State’s most violent offenders yet the Barnett Government is still refusing to negotiate a new EBA with the workers that would recognise the dangerous work that Prison Officers do,” said Mr Welch.

“How many more officers need to be assaulted before the Premier and Minister Cowper tell the Department of Corrective Services to start talking with the WA Prison Officers’ Union?”

WAPOU recently launched the “Respect the Risk “ campaign to get a fairer deal for Prison Officers from the Barnett Government.

“We want the State Government to ensure that we have the right levels of staff needed to keep our prisons as safe as they can be for the workers. We want new facilities so our members can manage prisoners in safe surroundings.

“We seek fair pay and conditions that recognise the risks our members face in managing violent offenders and keeping the community safe.

“We’ve been asking for action from the State Government on these issues for a while now. It’s time they matched their tough law and order rhetoric with action to deal with the crisis in prisons.

“The Barnett Government must show Prison Officers some respect by immediately sitting down with the union to discuss the real concerns being raised,” said Mr Welch.

Download this media release.