Prison officers could step up their industrial action with an illegal workstoppage in prisons across Northern Ireland next week, it emerged tonight.
Staff in all the North's prisons began an overtime ban today, followingattacks on their homes by loyalists paramilitaries campaigning for segregationfrom republicans.
The Prison Service has confirmed a total strike would be illegal but unionleaders have claimed the security of officers' homes and families are moreimportant than any law.
Mr Finlay Spratt, the chairman of the Prison Officers Association, said 99 per cent ofstaff supported the union's course of action and insisted they were prepared tobreak the law by holding a one-day strike next Wednesday.
"The Prison Service tell us it's illegal for us to strike, but we have ourbacks to the wall," he said.
"They can issue whatever threats they like but what we're doing is notillegal, we're defending the rights of all prison officers to live in safety."The security of our families is more important to us than any law."
Mr Spratt said the Northern Ireland Office needed to offer improvements tosecurity measures at officers' homes if complete strike action was to beavoided.
Security Minister Ms Jane Kennedy told the House of Commons she was prepared tomeet the families and representatives of prison officers whose homes have beenattacked.