Alice Springs Prison Guards Stage Major Industrial Action Over Safety and Staffing Concerns
Dozens of prison guards in Alice Springs have taken to the streets, participating in a significant industrial action to highlight what they claim are ongoing failures by the Northern Territory Department of Corrections regarding safety, staffing levels, and workload management. The protest culminated in a 12-hour work stoppage at Alice Springs prisons, with guards emphasizing that their grievances are not about pay, but about critical issues of overcrowding and chronic understaffing.
The planned industrial action saw corrections staff cease work from 8am to 8pm, marking a significant disruption. Efforts by NT Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley to avert the strike, including an eleventh-hour appeal to the Fair Work Commission lodged the previous afternoon, were ultimately unsuccessful. The Commission’s hearing continued late into the night, but the appeal failed to halt the planned stoppage.
More than 80 corrections officers participated in the march through Alice Springs, making their way to the offices of local Country Liberal Party (CLP) members Bill Yan and Joshua Burgoyne. Many carried placards emblazoned with messages highlighting the perceived risks, inadequate staffing, and crisis conditions within the correctional facilities. During the march, the group collectively sent text messages to Darwin radio station Mix 104.9, reiterating their focus on safety rather than remuneration.
Erina Early, the United Workers Union NT secretary, stated that the core of the dispute lies with a current enterprise bargaining offer from the NT government. This offer, she explained, would remove the requirement for the government to consult with the union on essential staffing levels.
“Commissioner Varley has shown no regard for the safety of officers whatsoever,” Ms Early asserted. “We’ve seen a 33 per cent increase in the prisoner population, yet what has been done for the officers? He has not championed officer safety. We are aware of a significant rise in assaults against officers, and he has failed to act.”
Deepening Concerns Amidst “Tough-on-Crime” Policies
One corrections officer, who requested anonymity due to concerns about job security, described the overcrowding at the Alice Springs Correctional Centre as a serious safety hazard for both staff and inmates.
“It’s incredibly distressing,” the officer shared. “You’re forced to lock people away for extended periods in spaces designed for six, but now housing eighteen grown men. It’s a terrible feeling.”
Having served as a prison guard in Alice Springs for many years, the officer noted a discernible decline in conditions since the NT’s Country Liberal Party government introduced its “tough-on-crime” agenda.
“I understand the imperative to reduce crime, but what about the downstream consequences? What infrastructure is being put in place to manage the increased incarcerated population?” the officer questioned. “You can’t simply keep imprisoning people and expect the problem to disappear. What solutions are being offered? Incarceration alone does not resolve the issue of repeat offenders.”
Another prison guard, also speaking under the condition of anonymity, echoed these sentiments, detailing the chronic understaffing and excessive workload faced by guards at the correctional centre.
“We’ve been working around the clock,” the guard stated. “The prison is incredibly busy, we’re severely short-staffed, and it often means working double shifts. Many days, we’re expected to perform multiple duties.”
Extended Lockdowns Implemented in Response to Strike
Following the unsuccessful Fair Work appeal, Commissioner Varley announced that the industrial action would necessitate prisons operating under “highly restricted and modified arrangements, including extended lockdowns.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections elaborated on these conditions, explaining that during a lockdown, prisoners would be confined to their cells. All non-essential activities, including rehabilitation programs, educational sessions, visits from family and professionals, and work-related tasks, would be suspended. The only services to continue would be essential ones such as meal delivery, medical rounds, and health and welfare checks, with a primary focus on maintaining safety, security, and stability.
“These are emergency operating conditions and are not how correctional centres are designed to function,” the spokesperson emphasised. “The commissioner has been unequivocal that this model significantly compromises normal prison operations and is a measure of last resort.”
Commissioner Varley had previously suggested that the strike would impede ongoing flood support efforts, as some corrections staff were actively involved in flood recovery operations in the Top End.
“Planning a 12-hour work stoppage is entirely inappropriate at a time when corrections staff are actively assisting with flood recovery, operating emergency evacuation centres, and preparing for a severe cyclone in the coming days,” Commissioner Varley had stated.
However, Ms Early dismissed these claims as “cynical and opportunistic,” arguing that linking the strike’s timing to natural disasters was disingenuous.
“It is truly inappropriate for him to make such statements,” Ms Early countered. “He has not requested any assistance from corrections officers in the Top End, so I’m unsure where he is obtaining this information.”
The Department of Corrections spokesperson confirmed that a total of 20 staff members from across the department, including 10 from Darwin, were providing support to operations in Alice Springs during the industrial action.
“The timing of this action hinders our efforts to continue providing support and assistance to Territorians in the aftermath of major weather events and amidst a severe tropical cyclone threat,” the spokesperson stated.
The department also confirmed that staff from the private security firm G4S were continuing their normal support roles, which include hospital bed watches and prisoner escorts. “They are not operating within the secure perimeter of the correctional facilities,” the spokesperson clarified.
