Court staff will not work between 12.30-13.30 or after 5pm
An open-ended strike by ‘judicial workers’ (court staff) begins today, calling a halt to any work between the hours of 12-30-13.30 and after 5pm until 9am the following day.
The effective ‘work-to-rule’ means union members will be refusing what the profession terms ‘extraordinary hours’.
The reason, in the eyes of the SFJ (Syndicate of Judicial Functionaries) is that these are not ‘recognised’ as a way of “guaranteeing a fair retirement system”, and should be.
The union’s grievances go much further. A statement claims court staff “work every day, without any conditions, with people with infectious diseases, namely when carrying out enquiries and first interrogations of detained defendants”. It also wants “the opening of a negotiation process to count the time the bailiffs’ careers have been frozen, the putting out to tender of all occupied posts on a replacement/choice basis and reinforcement of bailiffs’ staffing rosters, in sufficient numbers to guarantee its normal and regular functioning and the right to holidays, under the terms of the general law”.
Last year was marked by prolonged strikes by court clerks, split between two unions: the SFJ and the Union of Judicial Officers (SOJ). 2024 thus is continuing the climate of conflict. ND
Source material: Lusa
