THE Government has won a High Court bid to stop prison officers from HMP Hewell and across the country from staging “unlawful” industrial action.

Ministers were forced to seek an injunction to halt a walkout scheduled for Wednesday (March 1) amid a bitter pay dispute and surging levels of violence behind bars.

Hewell branch members were expected to conduct a meeting at 7.30am outside the prison, instructing all members to withdraw from voluntary roles until further notice.

Roles in the walkout included first aiders and hostage negotiators.

The Ministry of Justice argued the plan amounts to industrial action and is “plainly unlawful” as officers are banned from striking under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

In the High Court on Tuesday (February 28) Mr Justice Leggatt ruled that the “balance of convenience favours granting of an injunction in these circumstances”.

The walkout had been planned in a briefing paper from the Prison Officers Association (POA) ahead of meetings tomorrow.

The paper said: “The POA condemn the systematic failure of NOMS to provide safe, decent and secure prisons, failures which have created a prison service in crisis.

“More and more members are being assaulted every day.

“The increase in self-inflicted deaths and daily security breaches are unacceptable and as a result of staff shortfalls and bigger cuts.

“These systematic failures are being ignored.”

Around 60 prison officers staged a protest outside the Tardebigge site in November over safety in the jail.