Prison officers in Northern Ireland are set to join their colleagues in England and Wales in strike action over pay.
The Prison Officers' Association (POA) said its members were on course to vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over what it claims is government interference with the independence of the pay review body for prison officers.
A strike ballot is under way in England and Wales, and POA national chairman Colin Moses said indications were that between 75 per cent and 80 per cent of those who voted were behind strike action.
Local POA chairman Finlay Spratt said if the association nationally staged a strike, members locally would join them.
"The nub of the problem is we are supposed to have an independent pay review body, and the Government keeps on interfering with that body," Mr Spratt said.
He added: "Over the last three to four years because of government interference prison officers' pay in Northern Ireland and across the UK has fallen below inflation by 3 per cent to 4 per cent - that is not acceptable to anybody.
"Our members' pay in Northern Ireland has been going down and down, and it has to stop. We are not being unreasonable, we are not greedy people, but we expect our salary at least to keep pace with inflation."