Prison guards join huge strike by public sector

Prison officers staged a wildcat walkout today as tens of thousands of public servants went on strike in the row over pension reforms.

In a surprise move, the Prison Officers’ Association ordered its 33,000 members to stage protest meetings outside jail gates and provide only emergency cover.

Strikes by prison guards are illegal, with POA bosses expecting a court battle to force them back to work. But assistant general secretary Joe Simpson said the industrial action had been ordered in protest against plans to raise the retirement age to 68 — warning some officers would “die in service” if they worked that long.

The walkout came as up to 400,000 immigration officers, Metropolitan Police 999 call handlers, NHS workers, lecturers and other civil servants went on strike against plans to make them work longer and pay more towards their retirement. Unions say it is part of an “attack on public servants”.

Volunteers were checking passports at Heathrow today as part of contingency measures to deal with industrial action by 1,000 staff at the airport. Passengers reported queues of 90 minutes — twice the target time — at Terminal 3, but a spokesman claimed that was “not unusual compared with recent months” which have seen Heathrow blighted by three-hour queues.

Picket lines were set up around the country as part of the 24-hour walkout, launched by six unions over government pension reforms which were re-confirmed in yesterday’s Queen’s Speech. The Public and Commercial Services Union said the walkout was well supported, with some Jobcentres and government offices closed and callers to HM Revenue and Customs told to phone another day.

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude insisted the action was “futile” and vowed that pensions talks would not be re-opened.

On a day of public sector anger, 20,000 off-duty police officers — banned by law from striking — were marching through central London in protest at proposed changes to pay and conditions. Up to 16,000 wore black caps, representing each officer expected to lose their jobs under government budget cuts.

Today’s action follows the biggest strike for a generation which saw up to two million take to the streets last November.

Gail Cartmail, assistant general secretary of the Unite union, warned “further action” would follow unless ministers gave ground. But a defiant Mr Maude said public sector pensions would remain “among the very best available”.