Stuff Digital Edition

Vaccine for staff but not visitors

GEORGE BLOCK

A senior union official has come out swinging against Corrections’ approach to Covid19 vaccination in prisons.

PSA national justice sector lead Willie Cochrane accused the department of ‘‘subterfuge’’ and of going around the unions to pursue mandatory vaccination.

His comments came in an email to the union’s members, obtained by Stuff, after the Covid-19 vaccine mandate was extended to prison staff – but not to prison visitors.

By November, Corrections staff will be unable to work in prisons if they have not had one jab. All prison staff are required to have had both doses by December 1.

Cochrane said the department was now approaching all staff on vaccination status. Until the order came into effect, staff did not have to comment, he said.

‘‘The urgency has come about due to Corrections choosing to circumnavigate the unions and forge ahead with seeking mandatory vaccination,’’ the email said. ‘‘This has now resulted in the department being unable to determine if they will have enough staff available to work due to this decision.

The unions were ‘‘always ready to work on a risk template’’ that would have ensured there were staff available to safely manage the prisons, the email said.

‘‘There is no doubt that vaccination is the answer to our safety, and we support that, but this decision taken in such haste could place our hard-working prisons members in further risk due to unforeseen severe staffing shortages.’’

Cochrane’s email suggested prison visitors should also have to be vaccinated.

‘‘[Corrections] has taken the view that they are protecting your health and safety by seeking this mandate, if they are really serious then they would not permit any unvaccinated person [to enter] a prison.’’

Corrections National Commissioner Leigh Marsh said more than 80 percent of its 6300 frontline staff had the first jab, and more than 65 percent had the second dose through prison vaccination sites.

‘‘These numbers are based on staff who were vaccinated at their place of work by our contracted service provider, and don’t include people who were vaccinated in the community.

‘‘Therefore, actual numbers of vaccinated staff will be even higher.’’

As a result, Corrections was confident prisons would keep operating safely, Marsh said.

That legal order does not cover private visitors such as family members, legal advisors, or those providing pastoral care.

NEWS

en-nz

2021-10-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://stuff.pressreader.com/article/281565178964764

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