Oberstown youth detention centre staff to strike today

Residential care workers and supervising staff at the Oberstown youth detention centre will take part in an eight-hour work stoppage on Monday in a dispute over safety measures on the campus.

Trade unions Siptu and Impact said the action was part of an ongoing industrial dispute in response to the increase in attacks on staff at the State’s only youth detention centre.

Full emergency cover will remain in place during the stoppage, which will see residents confined to their rooms between 8am and 4pm.

Staff at Oberstown took part in a four-hour stoppage in May, while attempts to resolve the issue through talks at the Workplace Relations Commission have so far been unsuccessful.

The unions have served notice of more stoppages due to take place on September 5th, 12th and 19th.

Impact official Tom Hoare said: “While there has been consistent efforts to resolve this dispute, the staff are still facing the daily risk of assault and injury. Oberstown care workers are doing the work of prison staff with the facilities and equipment of a residential care home.”