Transforming prisons into correctional centres - places of new beginnings

1. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES Management of Correctional Centres and Recent Industrial Action by POPCRU Transforming prisons into correctional centres - places of new beginnings

2. Purpose of the presentation • Provide brief background to envisaged change • from 5 to a 7 day week establishment • Present advantages of proposed system • Discuss challenges associated with movement • to 7 day week establishment • Inform the Committee about the recent illegal • industrial action by members of POPCRU Department of Correctional Services

3. Background to Departmental Personnel Establishment • The Department started to operate its current 5 day week • establishment from 1978 • Implementation of the system required that weekends and • public holidays should be provided for differently given • limited services that were rendered on those days • A weekend establishment was introduced comprising of • an average of 46% of the week day establishment • The current system provides for one day shift of 8 hours • and two night shifts of 8 hours Department of Correctional Services

4. Background to Departmental Personnel Establishment • The ultimate goal of BCEA is to establish a 40 hour week • Weekends and public holidays should be compensated • through overtime payment • BCEA requires that employees should not work more than • 9 hours per day excluding overtime of not more than 10 • hours per week • The current system where employees work alternate • weekends increased overtime to 16 hours per week • Section 8 (5) (b) of the Correctional Services Act requires • that meal intervals should not be less than 4 hours and not • more than 14 hours between the last and first meals Department of Correctional Services

5. Background to Departmental Personnel Establishment • Insufficient time for development and rehabilitation • programmes in line with the white paper • Insufficient time to receive visits from friends, relatives, • legal representatives, professionals and investigators • Period of being locked up for up to 16 hours per day in • overcrowded conditions conflicts with philosophy of • improved humane treatment of offenders Department of Correctional Services

6. Advantages of 7 day establishment • 2 day shifts and two night shifts • 13 hours unlocked and 11 hours locked • Sufficient meal breaks [Sec. 8 (5)] • More time for development programmes • Staff work 12 days, 84 hours • Increase possibilities for flexi time work Department of Correctional Services

7. Over the past three years continuous overspending • Management decision to manage within budgetary • allocation and to hold managers accountable • At a meeting held with POPCRU in Feb 2004 it was • indicated that DCS will soon submit a proposal on the 7 Day • establishment and all unions were encouraged to submit • proposals • POPCRU however declared a dispute at the DBC and the • matter was referred to arbitration • Meanwhile DCS approached Treasury with the proposal • and there is principled agreement pending the details of • the proposal Department of Correctional Services Recent Developments

8. Illegal Industrial Action and the Consequences • The industrial action was rather impromptu and • took place while awaiting results of arbitration • The action was initiated firstly in Barberton and Nelspruit • on the 25 and 26 June • On response of the Minister during NCOP Budget Speech • POPCRU organised Extended Exec Committee • The action was limited to some areas in Mpumalanga, • Gauteng, Eastern Cape and KZN • During this time POPCRU’s message changed from • demanding overtime to concerns on security Department of Correctional Services

9. In Barberton and Nelspruit properties were damaged, • a senior officials was held hostage and inmates instigated • to damage property • Officials locked gates and obstructed movement in and out • the prisons • In some centres officials stayed away whilst others came to • the centres and picketed • Department interdicted POPCRU and an agreement • was signed in attempt to resolve the action Department of Correctional Services Form of Action and Consequences

10. 151 official were summarily dismissed in Gauteng and • Mpumalanga • More than 1000 official were issued with contemplated • suspension letters and investigations are being conducted • In all cases of dismissals officials appealed and actions • are underway to proceed with hearings • POPCRU submitted letters disputing dismissals and arguing • against further action by the department Department of Correctional Services Consequences

11. The Minister and Senior Management met with POPCRU • and decided to establish Joint Technical Team to attend to • the issues covered in the Agreement • The JTT has met twice and proposed terms for future • actions and relationship • In addition POPCRU raised concerns about the workings of • the DBC, MEDCOR and insignia • DCS convened a meeting of all Unions for 12 August 2004 • to discuss implementation of the 7 Day establishment • JTT agreed on a special DBC to deal with urgent matters Department of Correctional Services Current Developments

12. Thank you Department of Correctional Services