Thousands of prison officers across New South Wales have been ordered to return to work after walking off the job over the sentence handed to an inmate who bashed four guards at Cessnock Correctional Complex in February. The Industrial Relations Commission held an urgent hearing on Thursday and ordered more than 5,000 correctional services employees to cease industrial action by 6am Friday.
The strike stemmed from a three-year community corrections order given to Cameron Welsh, 26, who was convicted of four counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer and inflicting actual bodily harm, as well as one count of stalking and intimidating a prison guard. The sentence was handed down in Cessnock Local Court on Wednesday.
PSA general secretary Stewart Little said members were appalled by the sentence. Welsh has a history of violence, including a 2021 arrest for bashing two men with a baseball bat, for which he received a six-year sentence with a three-year non-parole period. Parole was revoked three months after his release after he allegedly threatened a relative.
Assistant Commissioner Craig Smith told the commission the strike had been catastrophic, with some centres operating with only six staff instead of the usual 50-60. He warned that inmates across the state were in lockdown and that staff shortages could lead to dangerous situations, including an inability to respond to self-harm incidents. The strike also disrupted court operations, with no inmates able to attend court on Friday.
Justice Minister Anoulack Chanthivong welcomed the order to resume work and said Corrective Services NSW would seek an appeal of Welsh's sentence. He emphasized that the government values correctional officers and their safety.
