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STAFF AT THE Oberstown juvenile detention centre in Lusk have served notice of a series of work stoppages.
Siptu said today the action is as a result of management’s refusal to adequately address serious health and safety concerns highlighted by workers.
Earlier this month, staff represented by the Impact union also voted to take industrial action over fears for their safety. There were more than 100 violent incidents in the centre last year and representatives say care workers are at risk of injury and assault every day.
The Siptu work stoppages will start on Tuesday 31 May from 8am to 12pm and will continue every Tuesday throughout the month of June.
“Management must immediately engage with staff and their representatives with the aim of agreeing changes at the facility that will ensure that a safe environment is created for staff and the young residents,” Siptu organiser Ray Stanley said.
“It is deeply regrettable that staff have had to undertake this action. During the industrial action the staff will continue to provide the best care possible.,” he added. “They are also committed to ensuring that the action will not interfere with the state examinations being held at the Centre during June.”
Responding to Impact’s ballot earlier this month, Pat Bergin, campus manager at the centre, said staff concerns were a “high priority” for management.
A recruitment drive is currently underway to increase staffing levels and he said there has been investment in protection equipment, including personal alarms.
I genuinely feel sorry for the staff and young people in this facility. Neither have the right supports in place to cope with their situation. Industrial action is becoming far too common for obvious reasons
Stephen not really. .the correct support might not be in place but that doesn’t give them a licence to act like s $#@ mags while they are there.
I’m not saying that at all. They need to be provided for also though
Yes agreed..but what gives them a licence to threaten staff..why can’t they just accept responsibility and try improve themselves!
Nothing gives them licence. But I can’t imagine they’ll improve themselves without adequate resources
Resources?
Decent staffing levels, decent rehabilitation programmes. Resources
Ok a hot chocolate before bed might help…some of these just won’t listen to authority. .
I see you’ve a mature take on the issue. A proper rehabilitation programme allows them to become rehabilitated. At the minute it’s a skeletal prison, which is why the staff are striking. Not a complex situation
Im afraid its a more complex situation than you understand….
A mature take on the issue…I thought they were striking because they felt threatened by them..I’ll read the article again.
Really? Having worked in high security units with young offenders for two years, without ever being assaulted once, I’d beg to differ.
And a bedtime story?
Zzzzzz
Stephen….i find that hard to believe.
Lots of hugs , lots of praise, hot chocolate and a lovely little bed time story ..
@Stephen
Then you will surely be able to tell us how many of these young offenders have been rehabilitated and how many did re-offend during your time?
A rough percentage would satisfy my curiosity.
You know it su…..poor vulnerable children….
I’ll remember that the next time a little s## bag rapes, attacks gets done for killing someone,because they needed resources. .you’re not going to tell me they didn’t realise what they were doing..
Their chances of leaving and not reoffending are about 40% in my estimated. The others may reoffend but you wouldn’t work in this area if you didn’t aim to do your best. The staff in these units care about the young people and want to see them turn their lives around, as impossible as that may be for you to fathom. They haven’t got a list for “justice” and the want of revenge
Stephen….you have NO clue…poor attempt.
Sparky…some of these wont RECOGNISE authority….
Some of the offenders are of course erratic, uncontrollable, and aggressive, and deserve to be locked up for their safety and others. I don’t deny that for one second. But 90% of these kids never had a chance, and these units can give them an opportunity to make amends if they’re run right. Whether they seize that opportunity or not is then their choice
Sparky…you read it right 1st time…and you have the decency to empathise with these staff…not put them down.
Now Stephen that’s a much more valid post..so it up to our judicial system to root out those who they believe won’t respond..and treat them separately to those that will genuinely try
Waffler.you would last 1 hour in Oberstown…the boys would smell the fear and waffle off you….
@Stephen
So 60% re-offend compared to 62% in general prison. 2% less ( if your estimation is right)can hardly be described as a success, in fact it seems a waste of resources, especially given that you won’t end up in a high security juvenile detention centre for not paying your TV licence, fines or tax evasion, all of the latter hardly considered in danger of re-offending!
Stephen….i hope you are satisfied with yourself…you have hijacked a really serious feature about people doing seriously skillful and dangerous work…for your own weird reasons.
Stephen…you havent responded to any of my ripostes…most of which questioned or rubbished your bona fides or/and claims to know what you were shi#ing about….
Ah it’s probably past his bedtime…
Very charitable Sis…im not one for gladiatorial/argumentative stuff here but i have poor tolerance for deceit/dishonesty/subterfuge etc….if one has no expertise on a certain topic…admit it or stay away…as you and i do.Dont denigrate those with specialist knowledge/skills.that grinds my gears.thanks Sis.
Alternatively, I may have a life to get on with. Night sunshine
You need me to upload my cv is it Peter? Why would I bother my hole trolling on an article based on a topic that I’ve no clue about in such a substantial way? Just because you do it doesn’t mean that it’s applicable to everyone else who comments here
Stephen…this isnt personal…and im satisfied that you acknowledge i know about secure juvenile detention though i made no such explicit claim…my only concern really was that the feature was hijacked from the staff who are under such duress in Oberstown right now…and Stephen..the kicker is..i dont work there..but i do work in the industry.no hard feelings Stephen.tomorrow.
Your lucky so
A swift kick up the arse would be the perfect resource for these lads. The majority of them never had a father figure in their lives.
Now these front line workers are worthy of support…the teens doing time here are the next hutchs and kinihans….and they dont respond to the modern hug a thug “care” approach.
Agree. Part of the problem here is the PC Brigade/social worker insistence that everyone under the age of 18 is a ‘child’. Oberstown was able to cope to some degree when it dealt with offenders up to age 16 but dumping the 16-18 year old ‘children’ into their care has made a bad situation an impossible one. Many of these are fully grown thugs and criminals – they don’t respond social workers etc.
Hard labour for inmates not sitting around scheming all day. Out breaking rocks and digging ditches all day, they’ll be too tired to cause trouble and also might help focus the mind to why they ended up in their in the first place and think about not. coming back.
That’s grand Peter…let’s wait and see the outcome..in my opinion anyway..the little upstarts in the house have had 2 much leeway..and that’s comings from someone who has seen the privileges they got around Skerries
Nigel….Skerries…preaching to the…..
So the answer to Siptu question is either improve the conditions of the staff in terms of safety or give them more money for same conditions…i bet its the latter…its always about money…by the way the little sh*ts in oberstown deserver nothing…they are the future lads we see shooting today
Nigel…wrong..this is about going straight home from work…not via the Mater or Blanch…
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