The judgement's in: working conditions at the Newcastle Courthouse are unfair, according to the Community and Public Sector Union.
This morning, Newcastle Court employees walked off the job for half an hour in a bid to draw attention to low pay and tough conditions in the under-resourced Court.
Members of the Union met outside Newcastle's Commonwealth Law Courts with Federal MP, Sharon Claydon, who is championing their cause for improved conditions.
The planned stoppage comes in the wake of an offer from the federal government to increase the Court workers' pay by just one percent; an offer rejected by 69% of Union members.
"Court staff have gone well over four years without a pay rise, and are still facing unfair cuts to their workplace rights and conditions," Union member Bronwyn Parris said.
"That's on top of the recent mergers, job losses and even more disruptive changes they know are coming," she continued.
Ms Parris said today's strike was part of ongoing industrial action that the courts are taking nationally, however it represents the first time local family court staff have been forced to resort to a walk-out.
"After four years of stuffing around, it's well and truly time for the bosses to wake up to reality and work with us on a just outcome."
Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) members met with Federal Member for Newcastle @SharonClaydon outside the Commonwealth Law Courts to outline the conditions that have led to them taking strike action for the first time in decades. pic.twitter.com/eFxvO62b5D— Newcastle Herald (@newcastleherald) November 29, 2017
