Taxpayers condemned to a life sentence with Serco

Public Service Association/Te Pukenga Here Tikanga Mahi (PSA) national secretary Erin Polaczuk and organisers Willie Cochrane & Nerinda Cropp will attend the privatisation protest outside Mt Eden Prison this Saturday, 1 August at 11am.

The PSA has been critical of the government’s decision to hand the management of Mt Eden and other prisons to private provider Serco and supports the protest going ahead.

The PSA is New Zealand’s largest union in corrections, representing 3000 staff at the Department of Corrections and 100 at Serco’s two private prisons.

Ms Polaczuk says "The Government has effectively handed New Zealanders a life sentence with its decision to privatize the management of our prison service".

"It’s a fallacy to say that the ‘step in’ clause in its contract with Serco allows it to step away from this decision.

"Wiri is a 25 year contract. There is no getting off for good - or bad - behaviour. We, New Zealand taxpayers, are stuck with this. It’s a rip-off.

"The Government must absolutely commit to no more private prison experiments. Mt Eden needs to be brought back under public control.

"As a nation we can’t continue to allow private companies to come in and profit from people’s misery," said Erin Polaczuk.

- National secretary Erin Polaczuk will speak at Saturday’s protest outside Mt Eden Prison

- Protest is at 11am, Saturday 1 August

ENDS

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