When is a strike not a strike? When lawyers, barristers and those who interpret or advise on the law are involved. Thousands of lawyers walked out for the second time on court cases the length and breadth of England and Wales in March in protest against cuts to fees, deskilling of the legal profession and the undermining of the quality of the British legal system by government cuts to funding of legal aid.
No ballots were undertaken, no serving of notice of intent, no informing the employer of who was involved in the action, the when where or how which has cursed the British trade unions and the workplace for the last 30 years. No lawyers running off for writs to prevent the action, no fat fees to lawyers intervening in a strike or telling us in the trade unions what we can or cannot do. Just a walkout and polite rallies in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and a march through Westminster.
If this clear, strong action is good enough for lawyers and barristers, who obviously aren’t rushing to seek damages against themselves, no sequestration of the leading chambers in England and Wales, then it’s good enough for the rest of us. ■