Mountjoy officers to ballot for action

PRISON officers at Mount- joy unanimously agreed yesterday to press ahead with a ballot for industrial action, up to and including strike action.

The move follows a decision by prison management last week to cancel planned talks with the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) unless the ballot was called off.

The Prison Service claimed on Monday that “all issues raised during the dispute had been addressed to the satisfaction of both sides” following meetings between governor Ned Whelan and local POA officials.