Riot gear not ‘part and parcel’ of answer to Oberstown issues

The manager of Oberstown Children Detention Campus has said riot gear for staff is not the answer to issues at the facility as workers veer towards possible industrial action.

Residential care workers and night supervising staff at the youth detention centre have voted in favour of industrial action over safety concerns, citing more than 3,000 work hours missed last year due to assaults involving 65 staff members in 100 violent incidents.

As many as 200 workers represented by Impact and Siptu at the facility in Dublin could now engage in work stoppages, although both management and employees stressed they are keen to resolve the issues.