Youth workers covering shifts at Holtze prison on their day off from their jobs at Don Dale youth prison because of a prison officers strike has been criticised by their union who called for the plan to be scrapped, saying it is “dangerous” due to the youth workers not having the proper qualifications and relevant training.

Community and Public Sector Union NT regional secretary Kay Densley wrote to Territory Families, Housing and Community Services chief executive Ken Davies after Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley requested staff to cover a strike by prison officers today.

Territory Families, Housing and Community Services sent a letter to youth workers which said: “Staff required to assist at DCC on Monday 18th July. If not rostered on duty and available please email…”

“We have grave concerns with what appears to be a direction to youth justice officers who are not rostered to work at Don Dale to work within the Holtze prison environment,” Ms Densely wrote.

“We seek that you urgently withdraw the requirement for youth justice officers to work at the Darwin Correctional Centre and advise all Don Dale employees, to ensure the safety of both youth justice officers and prisoners within the facility.”

United Workers Union NT secretary Erina Early said last week corrections staff across the Territory were protesting against the four-year pay freeze announced in November 2020, as well as issues with overcrowding, lack of staff, and an inadequate corrections budget.

The officers will be holding a 24-hour strike on Monday, and holding a rally at the corner of Tivendale Rd and Stuart Hwy, Berrimah at 9:45am, and at the Correctional Officer social club on Tivendale Rd.

A letter sent to staff from Territory Families said Commissioner Varley was seeking support staff to work a 12-hour day shift, or a 12-hour night shit, as part of NT Corrections’ “contingency plan”.

Ms Densley said there were four youth workers who had taken on the night shift.

Corrections staff picketing at the Prison Officer’s Club at Tivendale Rd.

The NT Independent understands that under the corrections plan to use the youth workers during the strike will mean that: all prisoners will be in lockdown during the shift; youth workers will be working only with low security prisoners, and will have no direct contact with them; inductions will be undertaken; and as part of trying to ensuring safety, prison officers agreed some would continue to work in the prison while the strike was going on. There will also be some NT Police working.

“I can’t believe the Corrections Commissioner has asked youth justice officers to do this. He’s worked in their environment for three or four months,” Ms Densley said.

“He knows that what a youth justice officer does is not what a correctional officer does. He knows the difference between the roles, yet he asks them when he has so many other options.

“Corrections officers have been working [with] the department to make sure it is safe during the industrial action.

“It is dangerous, it is like putting civilians in there. They are not accustomed to this, this is not their job. They have a duty of care.”

Ms Densley gave a list of specific grievances with the plan: Employees’ lack of familiarity with the secure prison environment; lack of staff induction for the prison facility; employees do not possess the qualifications and training relevant to correctional service work; failure of management to conduct a risk assessment of youth justice officers performing the work, as required under work health and safety law; the potential risk to staff and prisoners of employees performing work that they have not been trained for.