MAINTENANCE staff at North-East prisons could vote to take strike action in an ongoing row over pay, a regional union official warned today.

The Amicus union in the North-East said it will request a national ballot unless the Prison Service reaches an agreed pay-rate with its workers immediately.

Ian Davies, Amicus regional officer, said the authority should have agreed and implemented a wage increase for maintenance workers, such as electricians, plumbers, cooks and gardeners, on July 1.

But he said discussions had yet to take place and the group of workers at prisons, young offenders institutes and remand centres across the North-East were beginning to feel concerned.

It is the third year in a row that a wage agreement between the Prison Service and maintenance staff has been delayed, with 4,000 workers across the UK staging a 24-hour walk over pay in 2004.

Mr Davies said: "A wage increase was supposed to be implemented on July 1, but once again this has not happened.

"We have repeatedly requested to the prison service to discuss wage terms because we are well aware that in previous years the implementation of any wage increase has been delayed for six, seven or eight months.

"This could lead to industrial action. The northern region may be requesting a national ballot if there is no sensible conclusion."

In May 2004 maintenance staff staged a 24-hour strike after being offered a one per cent rise in pay.

The stoppage was carried out by members of the Amicus, GMB, UCATT and Transport and General Workers unions and was the first time maintenance staff had taken action in more than 25 years.

Yesterday a spokeman for the prison service said: "Negotiations are ongoing and we are to come to an agreement as soon as possible."

Those affected by the pay dispute across the region work at: Holme House Prison, in Stockton; Durham Jail and neighbouring Frankland Prison; Acklington Prison and neighbouring Castington young offenders' institute, near Morpeth, Northumberland; Deerbolt young offenders' institute, near Barnard Castle, County Durham; Low Newton young offenders' institute, near Yarm, Teesside; Northallerton young offenders institute, in North Yorkshire.