Prison officers to take industrial action

Prison officers are to hold three further one hour work stoppages in jails across the country in a row over new clocking-in arrangements, it emerged tonight.

Last Friday officers nationwide staged a walk-out over the dispute centring on the introduction of new security measures to clamp down on contraband being smuggled into inmates.

The Prison Officers’ Association (POA) supports increased security but insists a new system of clocking-in after they are searched will lengthen their working day.

Stoppages were scheduled for December 12, 19 and 21 after a meeting of the POA’s National Executive Council rejected a management proposal allowing them five minutes for searches.

A POA spokesman said: “The current dispute has emerged as management has, for whatever reason, decided to ignore a mediated agreement on where clocks should be placed for officers to check in – as they report for work.

“The POA are insisting that these clocks must be placed outside the security check in areas as previously agreed,” he said.

The body said it was open to third-party intervention to resolve the dispute.

During last week’s stoppage prisoners were locked in their cells and missed out on normal afternoon activities.