the criminal bar association wants a 25% pay rise for legal aid work, when lawyers act for people who can t otherwise afford representation. the union rejected a 15% rise from the end of september, which the government says would see the average barrister earn around £7,000 more a year. there have been a number of walk outs in recent weeks, disrupting more than 6,000 cases. now members say they ll stage an indefinite, uninterrupted strike from the 5th september. meanwhile dock workers at the uk s largest container port, felixstowe, are on strike for the first time in 30 years after rejecting a 7% pay offer. refuse collectors in edinburgh are holding a 12 day strike until the end of the month, with more action planned across scotland in coming weeks. and there are further strikes set to follow across the uk with unions in transport, the royal mail, local councils and a number of other services planning or consulting on industrial action. we ll start this morning with that vote by b
would not want someone representing themselves on being allowed to cross examine a complainant in a case. delays have been building for some years because of systemic underinvestment in the criminal justice system and barristers have been saying this for years, if you do not invest people will walk away, courts will close down because there are not enough judges sitting so the backlog is building up and we are now at a critical point. mas backlog is building up and we are now at a critical point. now at a critical point. was there an other now at a critical point. was there any other option now at a critical point. was there any other option other now at a critical point. was there any other option other than - now at a critical point. was there any other option other than to i now at a critical point. was there l any other option other than to take this course of action? irate any other option other than to take this course of action? any other option other than to take this cou
still no face to face meeting with the justice secretary? still no face to face meeting with thejustice secretary? trio. still no face to face meeting with thejustice secretary? me. if he is the justice secretary? no. if he is listenin: , the justice secretary? iiru if he is listening, what would you say? the justice secretary? no. if he is - listening, what would you say? come to seak to listening, what would you say? come to speakto us- listening, what would you say? come to speak to us. there listening, what would you say? come to speak to us. there is listening, what would you say? come to speak to us. there is a listening, what would you say? come to speak to us. there is a way - to speak to us. there is a way forward here and we are generally trying to represent and look after the most vulnerable people in society. we are a fundamental part of a civilised society and are asked asking we are paid to reflect that. what would it take to stop the escalation of industrial acti
than 2200 criminal barristers who have voted and of those 80% voted for a complete walk out beginning on the 5th of september. to clarify, that means defence barristers who are paid by the legal aid system to represent people who are on trial who otherwise can t pay for their defence. it does not affect prosecutors in that instance but a trial cannot go ahead with just a prosecution barrister and not a defence barristers of the case effectively grinds to a halt. with an 80% vote in favour of the walk out in september crystallises the huge anger among the criminal barrister profession. this has been building for years. we have had a couple of periods of industrial action since 2012 onwards over the rates of legal aid pay and it has been building and building to this position we have now got where they feel they have no choice but to