Workers at Queensland’s youth detention centres walked off the job on Thursday morning, demanding the state urgently resolve safety issues related to chronic staff shortages.
The Australian Workers Union says workers at the Brisbane and West Moreton youth detention centres met this morning after serious incidents at both prisons. The staff decided their workplace was “unsafe” and resolved to “withdraw their labour” until concerns were addressed by the state government.
It is understood a temporary agreement was reached for staff to return to work Thursday afternoon, after a closed hearing in the state’s industrial relations commission.
Chronic staff shortages have resulted in widespread and extended lockdowns of detention centres in Queensland, where children are routinely held in solitary confinement due to worker shortages.
Guardian Australia reported last month that an Aboriginal teenager with an intellectual disability likely spent more than 500 days in solitary confinement at the Cleveland youth detention centre in Townsville, where he was locked in his cell for more than 20 hours a day.
The AWU spokesperson Joey Kaiser said the routine confinement of children due to staff shortages ultimately put workers at greater risk of violence when young people were allowed out.
He said information from members indicated that at any given time 80% of the Cleveland youth detention centre was in lockdown.
There were only six days last year when Brisbane youth detention centre was fully staffed, he said.
Kaiser said the industrial action on Thursday was prompted by the serious assault of a guard at the Brisbane youth detention centre on Thursday morning.
He said the previous day, a young person in the neighbouring West Moreton youth detention centre had attempted to use an improvised knife, and that eight similar improvised knives were found in his cell.
The government has undertaken a recent recruitment campaign for youth detention workers, with a particular focus on Cleveland in Townsville.
It has recently lauded the results of the recruitment campaign, but data requested by Guardian Australia shows that large numbers of workers have left. At Cleveland, more than 60% of the workforce quit during the past three years.
The youth justice department said the health and safety of staff was “absolutely paramount”.
“All parties appeared before the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QRIC) this afternoon,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“Following that hearing the AWU agreed to return to work immediately and we agreed to continue to work in partnership with the union to resolve issues raised.
“The safety of staff, detainees and community remain our priority and we acknowledge the commitment of all in achieving this outcome today.
“We have made and will continue to make significant investments in detention centres to ensure safety.”
