Prison officers in England and Wales staged a surprise strike in a protest over pay and conditions, the report by Sky News reported on Wednesday.
Staff at 140 jails walked out at 7.00 a.m. (0600 GMT) in an action that will last at least 24 hours, said the report.
Around 28,000 prison officers voted earlier this month to take industrial action over pay. And the row blew up after a pay review body recommended a rise of 2.5 percent this year but the government decided it should be staged, reducing the value of the award to 1.9 percent, the report said.
Colin Moses from the Prison Officers' Association said, "I am waiting for a call from Justice Secretary Jack Straw to get round the negotiating table and resolve this."
"My members face abuse every day - we are being asked to look after the most violent prisoners ... Our job is to keep order and control in prisons and we should be properly rewarded for that." he said.
"We've been given for the second year running a below inflation pay increase. We believe enough is enough." he added.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice said, "We regret this action by the Prison Officers' Association, which is illegal and a breach of the Joint Industrial Relations Procedural Agreement ... We will be seeking advice on our next step."
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article