Serco. Have you as a reader, ever heard anything good about this British multi-national which provides government services on a contract basis in numerous countries around the world.
Remember Mt Eden Prison fight club? It was a fight club organized by the Killer Beez Gang at Mount Eden Prison, for a period of time in the mid 2010’s including when British multi-national company Serco was responsible for operating the prison on the Crowns behalf.
Serco are not unaccustomed to controversy. In 2018, at the tangi for a gang member, Serco staff ignored marae protocol, which requires the removal of shoes before entering a whare (meeting house).
During its time in New Zealand, which lasted a bit more than 4 years, Serco and its employees were the cause of numerous controversies. They point to a more systemic problem inside the multi-national, which has business contracts in numerous countries including – but not limited to – the ones below:
- Australia – correction and detention facilities
- United Kingdom – justice, immigration, health care and defence
- United States – defence, acquisition and ship modernization for the U.S. Navy
- Canada – services for provincial and municipal governments, military and correction facilities
The problem with Serco operated facilities and services is that they make no allowance for the staff who have to run the facilities/give effect to the services.
The danger is that the New Zealand health system, which Serco is eyeing up cannot afford another round of privatization. As Minister of Health Simeon Brown continues his punishing war against the staff, the risk associated with privatization by outsourcing services, is that the health system will collapse under the weight of being made to do things it simply is not capable of. Serco already have a blemished record from their time operating Mt. Eden Prison. The fight club was just one of several examples of their incompetence there. It also reflects a corporate culture that valued then – and still values – profit over delivering reputable services worthy of the contracts that they signed and the millions of dollars that they have been paid to give effect to them.
The problem with corporate run prisons is that there is no social or cultural training for dealing with the diverse array of inmates that one is likely to encounter. If there is, it is often seen as an after thought by the corporate body, and not appreciated by senior management. It is in prison you might meet the worst people, but when those people have done their time and are judged to be able to go free in the community, they need to have had the socio-economic preparation necessary post-prison life. Since whilst in prison they cannot get that learning outside, lest the inmates escape, it has to be taught inside. To do that though staff need to be trained to understand prisoners backgrounds, what they want to achieve out of it – something that will not happen with staff who are trained to believe that the almighty corporate dollar is more important than better prisoners.
If Serco – or any multi-national – cannot be trusted with that, how can the public be expected to tolerate them running other services. Should Serco ever be allowed back in New Zealand?
Leftist Kiwi Writes 