Prison officers in Northern Ireland will today take unofficial industrial action for the second time this week over the discovery of their personal details in the hands of Republicans.
Staff at prisons and young offenders' centres in the North are expected again to report in sick or leave work early as part of a dispute with the British government and management over a lack of information about the discovery of their personal details among files taken by an alleged IRA spy ring.
Prison Officers' Association chairman Mr Finlay Spratt said: "This is what happens when you take away trade union rights from workers who are not allowed in a proper structured fashion to express their view. They have to resort to such tactics to protect their families.
"The management of the prison service and the Police Service of Northern Ireland could solve these problems overnight by giving adequate security measures to prison officers," he said.
Mr Peter Russell, the Director General of the Prison Service of Northern Ireland, said he was "deeply disappointed" that staff were planning another protest.
"It is quite irresponsible," he told BBC Radio. "No one is short of sympathy for the plight of staff who have found their names and addresses have been compromised. However there is a good arrangement for those whose names and addresses have been compromised".
Prison officers' leaders have demanded proper security measures to protect their members.
The Northern Ireland Prison Service was monitoring the situation at Maghaberry Prison, Magilligan Jail and Hydebank Young Offenders' Centre, where prison visits were cancelled earlier this week because of the unofficial action.
PA