Prison officers are to engage in work stoppages at all prisons in a dispute over new clocking-in arrangements, it has been announced.
The National Executive Council of the Prison Officers Association (POA) met in Dublin today, where it rejected a recent proposal from management and decided on further industrial action in the coming weeks, a statement from the POA said.
Last week prison officers picketed outside Mountjoy Prison in Dublin over plans to make them go through security checks before they have officially clocked in for work.
"The current dispute has emerged as management has, for whatever reason, decided to ignore a mediated agreement on where clocks should be placed for officers to check in - as they report for work.
The POA are insisting that these clocks must be placed outside the security check in areas as previously agreed," the statement said.
"The executive council today rejected the management proposal as it failed to address the fundamental issue which has led to the current dispute, namely to need for prison officers to pass through security in their personal time before entering a prison for duty."
The POA said further work stoppages are now planned in all prisons.
According to the POA, stoppages will take place on Wednesday December 12th from 2pm-3pm, on Wednesday December 19th from 2pm-3pm and on Friday December 21st from 2pm-3pm.
The POA said it was open to third-party intervention on the "crucially important" matter.