Prison officers are to step up their campaign for increased security measures by banning overtime working from tomorrow in protest at attacks on staff in Northern Ireland, it has emerged.
Union leaders claimed the North's prisons would grind to a halt without the goodwill of officers who voluntarily work more than 54,000 hours a year.
Prison officers have come under sustained attack in their homes from loyalist paramilitaries for months as part of a campaign to achieve segregation from republicans.
However, despite segregation being granted after a series of violent clashes in the top-security Maghaberry Prison and a dissident republican "dirty protest", the attacks have continued.
Meanwhile, five officers have been injured in the prison in the last week by ordinary prisoners who claim they are frustrated their regime has been restricted by work to prepare for segregation.
Mr Finlay Spratt, the chairman of the Prison Officers Association, claimed the withdrawal of overtime working would have a devastating effect on prisons. "Eventually the prisons will grind to a halt," he said.
"Prison officers do many things that keep the system running, what other workforce would work 54,500 hours a year without pay?"
Mr Spratt said the authorities had only offered minimal security measures to prison officers.
"Prison officers are withdrawing their goodwill and from tomorrow morning there will be no overtime working because management have not come forward with sufficient security measures," he said.
"Loyalist thugs are going around throwing nail bombs into the homes of prison officers and it is only a matter of time before our families or children become victims."
Mr Spratt said around £17,000 was being spent on security measures at the homes of prison officers, while up to £50,000 was being spent on homes of police officers.
"What is the difference?" asked Mr Spratt.
"The Director General made a song and dance about the fact the Prison Service had spent £25 million on security measures for prison officers, as if it was our fault."
The Prison Service has insisted any complete stoppage by prison officers would be illegal.
However, Mr Spratt said staff would work their obligatory hours. "We are not going on strike, we are working our contract of employment," he said.