An Australian prison guards' union says the Government won't get the best deal from privatising the running of Auckland Central Remand Prison.
British company Serco has been awarded the contract from next year.
The company has run Acacia prison in Perth, Western Australia, for six years.
The Western Australian Community and Public Sector Union says because the contract is profit driven, conditions for prison officers are not as good as for those employed in public prisons.
It says service reductions such as having fewer staff per inmate, lower pay for prison officers and reduced privileges for prisoners are all driven by the bottom line.
Serco says it can't rule out a reduction in the number of jobs at the jail in Auckland, but pledged current employees would not have their wages reduced.
