Update:These seven courts have been closed by today’s strike at the Ministry of Justice.

The strike began at 11am today (Monday March 1) and ends at 10am tomorrow Tuesday March 2.

Kaitaia District Court
Huntly District Court
Morrinsville District Court
Te Awamutu District Court
Te Kuiti District Court
Wairoa District Court
Rangiora District

The PSA has confirmed these courts have been closed by the strike.

Other courts may have been closed.

Justice Workers Strike Nationwide As Part Of Escalating Campaign

Ministry of Justice staff at courts, tribunals and other Ministry worksites throughout the country have walked off the job and gone on strike for 23 hours.

They went on strike at 11am this morning and will not return to work until 10am tomorrow (Tuesday March 2).

“These workers are striking as part of on-going action to get the Ministry of Justice to negotiate a settlement of long standing pay issues,” says PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff.

“We’re extremely disappointed the Ministry has not been prepared to resume formal negotiations on a sound basis, given the fact the Employment Court has ruled that negotiations are not over and should resume.”

The Chief Employment Court judge, Graham Colgan, declared last Thursday (February 25) that “at this stage the collective bargaining has not ended.” He ruled: “It is important that the parties now get back into bargaining.”

The PSA has been trying to resolve the fact the Ministry of Justice underpays its staff because its pay setting does not work, since May last year. This was when the union initiated negotiations for collective agreements covering 1700 Ministry of Justice staff.

These workers began taking industrial action in October last year because the Ministry would not address their pay problems.

Members across the country have voted overwhelmingly to escalate the industrial action in support of a fair settlement.

The action is closing courts, forcing trials and hearings to be adjourned, backing up cases and disrupting other Ministry of Justice work around the country.

“Ministry of Justice staff receive are paid on average 6.9% less than workers in the rest of the public service,” says Richard Wagstaff.

“It’s simply not fair these workers are underpaid for running a public service as essential as our justice system.”

“They’ll continue to strike and take other action until the Ministry agrees to sit down and negotiate a fair pay settlement that all parties can live with.”

ENDS

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