Prison officers at HMP Lindholme went on strike for almost six hours last Thursday in support of two suspended colleagues - accused of lying at a disciplinary hearing.

Similar protests took place at nearby Moorlands Prison, while employees at Everthorpe jail in East Yorkshire, and New Hall, Wakefield and Wetherby jails in West Yorkshire also staged walk-outs.

The dispute relates to an ongoing enquiry into the dismissal of a female officer.

A spokesman for the Prison Officers' Association (POA) at Lindholme this week confirmed that prison staff had been back at work as normal since 6pm last Thursday and the situation had since remained unchanged.
He added that the future of the two male prison officers could be resolved in the next few days.

But a statement the POA's website reveals the underlying ill-feeling between the parties involved.

It states: "The leaders of the POA are concerned that the Government, Ministry of Justice and Prison Service have engineered this dispute in an attempt to justify the reintroduction of Section 127 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 through the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill along with the recent amendment which was placed before the House of Lords on 30th April 2008.

"The management at Lindholme prison were fully aware of the depth of feelings of its staff due to the suspension and threats of dismissal, and knew that if they lit the touch paper, there was every likelihood that staff would react.

"Leaders of the POA have made it clear that they have not induced nor encouraged neither individuals nor groups of prison officers to walk out."

A Ministry of Justice spokesman last week branded the industrial action as "simply unacceptable", saying it placed the safety of the public, staff, and the prisoners at risk.

Lindholme was criticised by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers last month for its poor security, violent inmates and illegal drugs problems.