KEY POINTS:
More than 700 prison staff have rejected a new collective employment agreement offered by the Department of Corrections.
The staff, belonging to the Public Service Association (PSA), work in prisons throughout the country and include corrections officers, nurses, social workers, administrators, whanau liaison officers and staff involved in prisoner rehabilitation.
PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said one of the key reasons for rejecting the offer was its failure to address the issue of staff retention with the department.
The Corrections Department had a high staff turnover and needed to be more proactive in retaining people with experience in the sector, he said.
"Prison officers and nurses are in demand around the world and social workers are also highly sought-after by other government departments and district health boards.
"That's why we want to see incentives for experienced staff included in the collective."
The PSA was seeking more professional development and improved career structures for prison staff as part of a package of conditions aimed at improving the retention of experienced staff.
"There's no substitute for experience and we believe it's more cost effective to invest in retaining experienced staff than on continually having to recruit and train new staff," Mr Wagstaff said.
The agreement was also rejected because the term, of two years eight months, was too long and the pay rises offered were below the level of inflation.
The PSA is seeking a resumption of negotiations with the Corrections Department.
- NZPA
