Dozens of prison staff have walked off the job at the state's only youth prison, demanding better safety conditions in a move the state government described as "disappointing".
The ABC understands staff concerns relate to low staffing levels at the beleaguered Banksia Hill Detention Centre which are forcing them to implement rolling lockdowns where youth offenders are held for 23 hours a day in their cells.
It has come on a difficult day for the state's justice system, after the death of an Indigenous prisoner at the adult Hakea Prison just hours earlier.
The walk-off follows an incident in late February where a custodial officer was seriously injured and required surgery after detainees hurled debris at guards from the roof of the facility.
It is understood there were less than half the full complement of custodial officers at Banksia Hill today.
Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) state secretary Rikki Hendon said staff walked out in "desperation" after they were given "another insufficient offer" from the Department of Justice late yesterday afternoon which did not address members' health and safety concerns.
The union said the officers were calling on the McGowan government to meet its responsibilities by urgently providing them with an offer that ensures they "return home safely to their families every night".
It said the demand comes after almost a year of "good-faith" bargaining to improve working conditions at the facility, which has been in rolling lockdowns due to a severe staff shortage.
The government's first offer provided over a month ago was overwhelmingly rejected by CPSU members, and the union says subsequent offers have not seen the safety improvements needed.
A CPSU member addressed the officers who had walked out, telling them they had been called to present their case at the Industrial Relations Commission, with a hearing called for 3pm today.
Walk-out 'disappointing'
Ms Hendon initially said members would remain outside the centre until 4pm, and that detainees would be locked down in their cells until then, but just before that deadline the industrial action was extended until 6pm.
After five hours of industrial action, the WA Industrial Relations Commission ordered officers back to work and to obey any lawful direction by management.
Ms Hendon did not rule out the possibility of further industrial action, following discussions with members.
"Obviously the staff are here and they have a capacity to respond if there's an urgent matter," she told reporters.
"They will be returning to the centre to ensure that the young people receive their meals at the appropriate times."
A state government spokesperson said it was "disappointing" the action was taken with "such little notice".
"Banksia Hill's withdrawal of labour plan has been put in place and there is no risk to any of the detainees or the community," they said.
Officers from the prison riot squad — known as the Special Operations Group — entered Banksia Hill shortly after the strike began.
"The Department of Justice had been optimistic in the light of negotiations over recent weeks that this offer would be received much more positively than the previous one.
"They said in a meeting yesterday there was absolutely no indication that any industrial action was being contemplated and no notice provided about the action that has taken place.
"We take very seriously our obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 to take all steps reasonably practicable to ensure safety in the workplace."
Officers' patience 'wearing thin'
CPSU Branch Secretary, Rikki Hendon said the officers had continued to turn up to work despite challenging and dangerous conditions, but their patience was wearing thin.
"It is time the government started treating its frontline workers at Banksia Hill with the respect they deserve and stop avoiding their responsibility to workplace health and safety," she said.
"The Department of Justice can enact changes right now, without the requirement for legislative change, budgetary changes or ministerial approval that can meet the workplace health and safety concerns.
"The department and the government choose not to, choosing to instead endanger their workers."
Ms Hendon said staff wanted the government to commit to procedures which meant they were never left alone, that "safe" staffing ratios were always maintained, and which set out clear plans for when staffing levels were reduced.
According to the union, the centre "regularly" runs with less than half of the 65 staff it is meant to have on a day shift.
"It's 30 on a good day, recently it was as low as 14 on a day shift which is very, very low, it's extremely unsafe," Ms Hendon said.
"Ideally, this centre is supposed to operate in a way that allows young people to move safely around the centre, to participate in rehabilitation programs, to participate in education.
"That simply can't occur when you don't have enough staff to safely escort the young people around the centre and ensure that they're unlocked in a safe manner."
She said putting in place the measures the union had been requesting would help recruit more staff and alleviate those pressures.
"It's important that young people that end up in this centre, that end up in youth detention have a genuine chance of rehabilitation, and the work that our members do is aimed at that," Ms Hendon said.
"And it's very disappointing for them when they get here and they do their work and they realise they're understaffed and ill equipped because of that understaffing to achieve those aims.
"They are here to do good things with young people who desperately need it."
The ABC understands there were just under 100 inmates across Banksia Hill and Unit 18 today.
