Member News

Temperature testing in prisons

The focus of the union during these unprecedented times remains the safety and security of its members. WAPOU has been outspoken regarding the importance of maintaining strong measures to ensure our prison system remains COVID-19 free. For this reason, th ...

Win for Prison Officers

We are pleased to announce after years of campaigning by WAPOU, prisoners who assaulted a Prison Officer and are suspected of having an infectious disease, will undergo mandatory testing.   The Prisons Amendment Bill 2020, passed Parliament yesterday ...

Casuarina Prison Glass Testing

On the eve of the opening of two new units at Casuarina Prison local members have expressed concerns that the large expanse of glass around the control rooms and officer interview rooms was a risk to staff. Casuarina members have requested grills to be in ...

COVID-19 impacts on Officer Skills Training

A positive COVID-19 story coming from the Corrective Services Training Academy is that efforts to address the risks associated with the highest risk category of skills training – competencies that require physical contact, such as restraints and def ...

Hakea TOIL Issue

A long-running dispute at Hakea, in relation to 12-hour shift officers not getting their second meal break, is getting closer to being resolved.   TOIL approvals are now being processed and officers should be able to make arrangements with their loca ...

VSO Bulk Recruitment

The Department of Justice’s recent decision to engage in “bulk recruitment” for the many state-wide VSO vacancies means that individual positions will not be advertised for the foreseeable future.   This is likely to have an impact ...

Expanded testing criteria for Prison Officers/VSOs

The criteria for testing for COVID-19 continues to be expanded, especially for workers in high-risk workplaces such as prisons. WAPOU encourages all members who are experiencing any of the following symptoms to not attend work until such time as you have ...

School's back for Term 2

The recent announcement by the State Government that public schools will be opening in Term 2 may have some implications for WAPOU members with school aged children.   While the announcement provided flexibility for parents to choose to keep their ch ...

COVID-19 Advice

WAPOU has welcomed the release of new advice from Public Sector Labour Relations (PSLR) for vulnerable workers in high-risk settings such as prisons. The updated advice followed a consultation PSLR and WAPOU, where specific concerns were raised on behalf ...

VSO Positions

WAPOU welcomes the long overdue announcement from the Department of Justice this week that they are engaging in the bulk recruitment of Vocational Support Officers. Vocational Support Officers play a vital role in the rehabilitation and up-skilling of pr ...

Occupational Safety & Health – managing the prison environments

Recently our Industrial Officers have received many queries about various tasks assigned Officers, and other queries about the safety of the working environment, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In many cases the queries fall under the ambit of ‘o ...

Melaleuca Women’s Prison

Amid all the recent COVID-19 related news, it might have been easy to overlook a massive win for WAPOU. On Saturday 6 April, after three and half years, the failed experiment of a French catering company running a Western Australian maximum-security wome ...

Casuarina Incident

An incident at Casuarina Prison on Sunday 29 March 2020, where a number of inmates made their way on to a roof, led to one of our members being injured after being struck on the head by a projectile thrown by one of the prisoners involved in the incident. ...

COVID-19 Pandemic : Update for Members

Dear members,  WAPOU are acutely aware that members are experiencing high levels of anxiety, stress and feelings of uncertainty due to the increasingly concerning COVID-19 pandemic.  Your health, safety and wellbeing will always remain our prima ...

BRANCH REPORTS TO STATE COUNCIL

BRANCH REPORTS TO STATE COUNCIL   ACACIA Industrial Agreement negotiations are close to conclusion. The outstanding issue in relation to Personal Leave hours has been resolved. Serco have offered 2 months back-pay. ACADEMY Nothing to report. ALBA ...