Prison officers serve notice of work stoppages

Prison officers at two of the State’s largest prisons are due to begin work stoppages later this month in a dispute over staffing levels.

The Prison Officers Association served notice of industrial action on the Irish Prison Service yesterday.

Prison officers at Clover Hill Prison and Mountjoy Prison are planning to hold work stoppages for one hour on several days later this month

The Irish Prison Service said it was disappointed about the proposed course of action announced by the association.

“The course of action proposes to breach the terms of the public service agreements which set out, initially in the Croke Park Agreement, that strikes or other forms of industrial action by trade unions, employees or employers were precluded and this later being reaffirmed in the Haddington Road Agreement,” a spokesman said.