STA, 31 January 2019 - Representatives of prison guards and of the Trade Union of State Bodies called on Thursday for the resignation of Prison Administration director Jože Podržaj. The call comes amid a continuing crisis that is now seeing an all-out clash between Podržaj and chief unionist Frančišek Verk.
Addressing the press in the wake of a much publicised escape from Koper prison, the Prison Administration trade union and the Union of State Bodies also demanded a meeting with PM Marjan Šarec and Justice Minister Andrej Katič, threatening to step up strike activities if ignored.
Verk, the head of the Union of State Bodies, said Podržaj had ordered prison directors to have their employees report to management about any contacts with the union leader.
Verk, whom Podržaj in turn accused before today's press conference of undermining social dialogue, said such orders prevented normal union work, were illegal and verged on a criminal act.
While acknowledging mounting problems in the prison system, Podržaj told the STA that Verk was actively avoiding any direct communication with the Prison Administration and thus undermining the search for solutions.
Podržaj thus asked the leadership of the Union of State Bodies to discuss the actions of their president.
While disagreements also exist with the Prison Administration trade union, there is at least continuing dialogue aimed at finding solutions, the official said.
Podržaj said problems in the prison system had been accumulating for 15 years and were being highlighted persistently by those in charge.
While the Koper prison escape was an unfortunate affair, it will perhaps speed up an active search for solutions, he suggested.
Staff shortages, low pay and heavy workloads causing problems
Podržaj said that the work of a judicial police officer used to be respected in the past, but that this had changed. Prisons are understaffed, wages are too low and the workload is no longer manageable.
"This leads to burnout and also affects the welfare of prisoners. Be it a prison or a bank, the attitude to clients will suffer if the employee is unhappy. And when problems drag on, we get to the present result," Podržaj said.
The administration understands this and is engaged in dialogue, but the problem is that "such situations are also being abused for some other needs that have nothing to do with the care for the well-being of the workers".
The staff shortages were highlighted today as the main issue by union leaders from several prisons in the country and the issue is also expected to dominate the requested meeting with Šarec and Katič.
Kamil Fras from the prison in Maribor said the union would demand a collective bargaining agreement for prison workers, a staffing plan compliant with official standards, and the tackling of systemic anomalies.
He said that according to existing standards, Slovenian prions needed an additional 138 guards and 29 expert staff.
While on a go-slow strike, prison guards pulled out of the December government pay deal with the public sector, giving the government three months to meet their demands. They have now threatened to step up the strike on 8 February.
Katič expressed surprise today by the all-out clash between Podržaj and Verk, saying that the problems of Slovenian prisons should be tackled as a joint effort. The government is ready for talks, she said.
Katič said she had thought the pair had already solved their dispute, as all stakeholders met in mid-January to agree how the social dialogue would be conducted. She said she had presented government plans about additional hiring of prison guards at the meeting.
The minister is willing to meet trade unionists before 5 February, when they have a joint meeting scheduled. She is also hopeful of the debate which will be held at the parliamentary Justice Committee next week.
The prison system was affected by austerity measures during the crisis, but investments picked up recently, she said, announcing more funds for boosting security.
She said that police were still investigating the Koper prison escape and the attack on the Dob prison guard. If any irregularities are found, the government will act.
