Lawyers in gowns and wigs demanding an increase in their remuneration to snail operations on the roads for the drop in fuel prices, British inflation gave rise to new demonstrations on Monday.
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Historic strike last month in the UK
Against a background of record inflation for 40 years, the United Kingdom already experienced a historic strike by railway workers last month for three days. Strikes are also announced among British Airways ground staff at London’s Heathrow airport, but also at British Telecom (BT). In Wales and in the south of England, several demonstrations to demand a drop in fuel prices, which are close to two pounds sterling per liter (2.30 euros), have severely disrupted road traffic. In particular, traffic was completely blocked on the motorway bridge which connects Wales and England for more than an hour.
Boris Johnson’s government implemented a 12-month fuel tax reduction of 5 pence per liter at the end of March. “I lost my job because of (the price of) fuels and greedy people upstairs taking all our moneysaid Vicky Stamper, a protester. “I’m a truck driver who couldn’t afford to fill up“, she said, “I’ve been stuck at home for two weeks, I’m going crazy», «I need to work“. As part of a movement that began last week, criminal lawyers demonstrated on Monday in several courts in England and Wales, to demand an increase in the fees paid to them by the State for the defense of litigants in modest income. The strike was renewed despite the 15% increase proposed by the government from the end of September on new files. Lawyers want an immediate raise. Several dozen of the black robes gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, carrying signs “justice for justice», «crime does not pay“.
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“Budget cuts and lack of people willing to do this job”
“We are fully aware of the impactof the strike, said Emma Heath, a 34-year-old lawyer,but as long as the government does not wake up (…) we will have no choice.“His colleague Jordan Santos-Sindes, 30, explained that the delays – 60,000 outstanding files – are not attributable to the Covid, but “to budget cuts and the lack of people willing to do this job“. “It’s a wonderful profession, I love my job“, did he declare, “but it is unsustainable“.
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