In a dispute over government funding, attorneys in England and Wales who are involved in criminal trials have decided to go on an indefinite strike beginning in September.
According to the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), nearly 80% of voting members supported intensifying the recent sporadic strike action, which included refusing to take on new cases or cover cases for colleagues who have gone overdue.
They will strike indefinitely beginning on September 5, the day Boris Johnson’s replacement as prime minister is scheduled to be announced.
Real earnings, according to attorneys who represent clients in criminal court cases, have fallen by 28% since 2006.
According to the attorneys, many junior barristers make only a median salary of $20,900 in their first three years, forcing many to give up their careers.
The CBA stated that the proposal would not be implemented until the end of 2023 at the earliest. The government had offered barristers a 15% pay increase.
British courts already have a backlog of about 58,000 cases, which has been made worse in part by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, according to CBA, the justice system has long been dysfunctional due to a lack of attorneys.
The strike is the most recent in a string of labour disputes in Britain, where rail, port, and airline workers have walked out in protest at pay increases that have not kept pace with inflation, which is expected to reach 13% later this year.
On Sunday, workers at the largest container port in Britain began an eight-day strike that, according to their union and shipping firms, could have a significant negative impact on supply chains and trade.
East Coast of England’s Felixstowe employees are engaging in industrial action over a pay dispute.
(With inputs from agencies)
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