A protest was staged by prison officers today over government plans to push ahead with the privatisation of jails.

Members of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) at the Island’s three prisons joined forces for a lunchtime protest at Standford Hill from 12.30pm.

Staff are acting under the direction of the union’s national executive, which has told members to adhere to their contracts but to organise a weekly protest in their lunch hour to make their feelings known.

Industrial action by prison officers was banned by the previous Labour government.

Elmley Prison’s POA branch chairman, Mark Cordier, said members are extremely worried about their jobs and fear a repeat of the uncertainty caused in 2005 and 2006, when the Sheppey cluster of Elmley, Swaleside and Standford Hill were assessed for privatisation.

Mr Cordier said members postponed wedding plans and house moves at the time because of the culture of uncertainty created by the review.

He said: “Members are very worried about their jobs and have no guarantees.”

He estimates that up to 1,000 jobs would be affected if the jails were to be privatised, and it was not only prison officers’ jobs that were threatened, but support staff such as cleaners were also at risk.

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke’s announcement in March that Birmingham Prison is to be privatised from October has been met with dismay by POA members.

Mr Cordier said prison officers wanted to do the best job and supported Mr Clarke’s drive to bring down re-offending rates, but that the uncertainty caused by privatisation had made this difficult.

He said: “Prison officers want to be part of the 'rehabilitation revolution’, but how can they when they are so worried about their own jobs?”