DORSET members of the Prison Officers' Association are being urged to work to guidelines in a row with the Government over hours.

Delegates at the POA's 69th annual conference in Portsmouth backed a call for immediate action which includes a strict work to rule, arriving at their place of work at the correct time and working strictly in accordance with the local security strategy.

Among those at the conference was Portland Young Offender Institution POA chairman Paul Kennedy who said officers were concerned at Government cost-cutting plans which they believed could lead to about 480 officers losing their jobs nationally.

He added: "They say that our day will now run from 8am-8pm instead of from 7.30am-8.30pm.

"This cut is effectively a cut in jobs and we are against it.

"There are guidelines laid down for work within the YOI and we will be asking our members to follow them.

"If our members come in and leave on time then it will highlight what the Government is losing in terms of goodwill time when members come in to work a few minutes early.

"We use this goodwill time for the good of the prison. If we work to guidelines then that extra time will not be there and some of the work done within it must suffer.

"We will be discussing the work to guidelines proposal with our members as soon as possible with a view to tightening up our response to the guidelines."

POA national chairman Colin Moses said staff goodwill had been 'constantly abused' throughout the UK.

He added: "It is clear that prison regimes cannot be maintained unless additional resources are put in place if the employees work the hours that they are paid for."