❓ A parliamentary question addresses industrial action by prison nurses, focusing on employment conditions, back pay, and government response. The Minister's response defends the government's position and outlines contingency plans.
AnsweredQoN 429Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the minister to industrial action taken by prison nurses around the State on Monday, 25 November 2002 and ask - (1) Does the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs concede that prison nurses undertake particularly challenging roles that are generally very difficult to fill? (2) Given that the Government has now agreed to grant prison nurses similar employment conditions to those enjoyed by mainstream nurses, as set down in their June 2001 enterprise bargaining agreement, why is the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs refusing to back pay prison nurses to this date? (3) What actions will the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs immediately take to end the prison nurses’ industrial action? (4) What has been the total cost to government of the recent prison nurses’ industrial action? Hon NICK GRIFFITHS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(1) Does the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs concede that prison nurses undertake particularly challenging roles that are generally very difficult to fill? (2) Given that the Government has now agreed to grant prison nurses similar employment conditions to those enjoyed by mainstream nurses, as set down in their June 2001 enterprise bargaining agreement, why is the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs refusing to back pay prison nurses to this date? (3) What actions will the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs immediately take to end the prison nurses’ industrial action? (4) What has been the total cost to government of the recent prison nurses’ industrial action? Hon NICK GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(2) Given that the Government has now agreed to grant prison nurses similar employment conditions to those enjoyed by mainstream nurses, as set down in their June 2001 enterprise bargaining agreement, why is the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs refusing to back pay prison nurses to this date? (3) What actions will the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs immediately take to end the prison nurses’ industrial action? (4) What has been the total cost to government of the recent prison nurses’ industrial action? Hon NICK GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(3) What actions will the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs immediately take to end the prison nurses’ industrial action? (4) What has been the total cost to government of the recent prison nurses’ industrial action? Hon NICK GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(4) What has been the total cost to government of the recent prison nurses’ industrial action? Hon NICK GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
Hon NICK GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(1) Does the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs concede that prison nurses undertake particularly challenging roles that are generally very difficult to fill? (2) Given that the Government has now agreed to grant prison nurses similar employment conditions to those enjoyed by mainstream nurses, as set down in their June 2001 enterprise bargaining agreement, why is the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs refusing to back pay prison nurses to this date? (3) What actions will the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs immediately take to end the prison nurses’ industrial action? (4) What has been the total cost to government of the recent prison nurses’ industrial action? Hon NICK GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(2) Given that the Government has now agreed to grant prison nurses similar employment conditions to those enjoyed by mainstream nurses, as set down in their June 2001 enterprise bargaining agreement, why is the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs refusing to back pay prison nurses to this date? (3) What actions will the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs immediately take to end the prison nurses’ industrial action? (4) What has been the total cost to government of the recent prison nurses’ industrial action? Hon NICK GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(3) What actions will the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs immediately take to end the prison nurses’ industrial action? (4) What has been the total cost to government of the recent prison nurses’ industrial action? Hon NICK GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(4) What has been the total cost to government of the recent prison nurses’ industrial action? Hon NICK GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
Hon NICK GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs has provided the following response - (1) Nursing positions in prisons, like nursing positions in other government agencies, are generally difficult to fill. (2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(2) The Department of Justice nurses’ enterprise agreement nominally expired on 31 May 2002. Department nurses have been offered back pay to 1 June 2002, consistent with government policy. (3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(3) No action will be taken at this stage. The department has contingencies in place to manage the delivery of service to prisoners. (4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
(4) At this stage it is estimated that the additional cost incurred as a result of the industrial action by nurses will be offset by salaries forgone as a result of their strike action.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.