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'Angry' prison staff in walkout Staff in walkout at three prisons
(10 minutes later)
Prison officers at a jail in South Yorkshire have walked out in protest after two colleagues were suspended. Prison officers at three jails in Yorkshire have walked out in protest after two colleagues were suspended.
An entire shift of between 80 and 100 staff were outside Lindholme Prison near Doncaster, said a spokesman for the Prison Officers' Association (POA). About 400 staff are refusing to work at Lindholme and Moorlands prisons near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and at Everthorpe jail in East Yorkshire.
Only senior managers had been left in charge of the jail as talks take place to resolve the dispute, the POA said. The walkouts happened when two officers were suspended at Lindholme, said the Prison Officers' Association (POA).
One of the staff who walked out said the dispute centred on allegations that an officer had assaulted a prisoner. Only senior managers have been left in charge of the jails as talks take place to resolve the dispute, the POA said.
POA national officer Joe Simpson said the officers were suspended just before midday for remarks made during a disciplinary hearing. POA national vice chairman Steve Cox said the officers were suspended for remarks made during a disciplinary hearing into the dismissal of a female officer.
He said the suspensions were "the last straw" for officers who were angry at the way they were being treated by prison management. Arbitration service
He said she had been sacked last month for allegedly assaulting a male prisoner who was being restrained, an allegation which she and her colleagues denied.
Mr Cox said the union was urging the Prison Service to allow the arbitration service Acas to handle the dispute.
We are confident that the governor at Lindholme has acted in accordance with HM Prison Service policies and disciplinary procedures Ministry of Justice statement
A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "The Ministry of Justice will take whatever action necessary to ensure that a safe and secure environment is maintained in all our prisons.
"We will not comment on the detail of the ongoing investigation.
"However, we are confident that the governor at Lindholme has acted in accordance with HM Prison Service policies and disciplinary procedures.
"If the Prison Officers' Association have any issues with the way he has conducted this disciplinary procedure there are existing channels that they can use to raise this with him."
Police monitoring
POA national executive officer Joe Simpson said the suspensions were "the last straw" for officers who were angry at the way they were being treated by prison management.
"Members of staff are currently outside the jail having withdrawn their labour as individuals," he said."Members of staff are currently outside the jail having withdrawn their labour as individuals," he said.
"They walked out at 1230 after a branch meeting."They walked out at 1230 after a branch meeting.
"We are hoping senior management will come to their senses and decide they do not want this dispute to go on.""We are hoping senior management will come to their senses and decide they do not want this dispute to go on."
South Yorkshire Police said it had sent officers to monitor the situation at Lindholme and Moorlands prisons.
"We have been assured there are no security problems as all the prisoners have been locked up and everything is under control," a force spokeswoman said.