St Lucian government and prison staff square off

Government and prison officers in St Lucia appear headed for a showdown.



Prime Minister Stephenson King has made it clear that the officers who are opposed to the return of a former prison chief will not dictate the government\'s hiring policies.



The prison staff has denied staging a sickout although the government has reported unusual absences from work in the last two weeks.



The opposition St Lucia Labour Party has warned that the situation at the prison, which houses some 500 inmates, is potentially explosive.