Child safety workers rally ahead of bail laws passage
Andrew Stafford |
Hundreds of child safety workers have walked off the job in protest after a series of crises which has led to the resignation of a state minister.
Staff in the embattled sector from across southeast Queensland stopped work at midday on Thursday ahead of a protest outside parliament house.
They are demanding action on what they say are workforce shortages, excessive workloads and a lack of resources to protect vulnerable kids.
Together Union assistant secretary Dee Spink said the Liberal National state government had failed to address their concerns after more than six months of protected industrial action.
Workers were being driven out of critical frontline services, she said.
“These are workers who would much rather be doing their jobs than standing outside parliament,” Ms Spink said.
“But they cannot keep quietly holding together systems that are already under enormous pressure.”
The union said that more than 60 youth justice case workers and a further 22 youth workers’ positions remained vacant.
Mount Isa’s Youth Justice Service Centre had lost a combined 50 years worth of experience in 12 months, it said.
The Queensland parliament is also expected to pass its “breach bail, go to jail” laws on Thursday afternoon.
Youth justice advocates say the new laws will put more pressure on the embattled sector, which Premier David Crisafulli has acknowledged.
”The government is passing laws that will increase pressure on the very services our members are struggling to keep running,” Ms Spink said.
”You cannot keep adding responsibilities to an already stretched workforce without providing the staff, resources and experience to deliver them.”
The rally follows the resignation of former Minister for Child Safety and Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Amanda Camm last Friday.
Ms Camm had just returned to work after six weeks on medical leave, but stepped down citing ill health.
She was immediately replaced by former federal senator Amanda Stoker, who was sworn in on Saturday.
Ms Stoker is taking on an embattled portfolio that has been beset by multiple controversies in the state Liberal National government’s first term.
It has previously been revealed that children in need of shelter have been forced to sleep on the floor of government facilities.
The domestic and family violence services was cut by $38.5 million in the state budget.
A critical IT system roll-out was also bungled, which Ms Camm admitted put potentially vulnerable children at risk, with frontline staff left unable to access time-sensitive information.
Minister Stoker’s office has been contacted for comment.
AAP