The Corrections Department says it is "very disappointed" members of a prison officers union yesterday walked out of proposal meetings in protest.
Senior Corrections management and the union met to discuss a proposal to double bunk cells in the four newest prisons.
Prison officers walked out of meetings at both Auckland Women's Prison and Spring Hill Prison, in the north Waikato.
"We are very disappointed that staff chose not to take the opportunity offered to gain further information on the proposal," Corrections acting assistant general manager of operations Leanne Field said.
Corrections would continue working with the unions "in good faith", she said.
Corrections Association president Beven Hanlon said the issue of double bunking in cells designed to hold only one prisoner was of grave concern.
The proposal would increase the risks for staff in an already difficult job, he said.
"At a time when public servants are being told there is no money and there will be no pay increases, the prison officers were being told by a highly paid private consultant that their workloads were going to increase, they were going to be placed in higher risk situations and there will be no reward."
