PRISON officers have said that they would rule “nothing in and nothing out” after government paymasters proposed a real-terms pay cut for around 24,000 workers.

Their union the Prison Officers Association (POA) expressed “outrage” at the proposed face-value freeze for men and women who have seen their wages and working conditions eroded year after year.

“It is absolutely shocking that prison officers are being treated like this,” said POA general secretary Steve Gillan yesterday.

“We were given a pay review body as compensation for losing the right to strike — but it is just a puppet of the government and we have absolutely no confidence in it.”

The union said members had faced 4,000 assaults on prison staff, a prison population at record levels, numerous health and safety breaches and a cut of 3,500 in the number of officers.

“We are reminded that our members in the NHS have successfully achieved concessions on pay with direct action,” the union said.