(MENAFN) British attorneys involved in criminal prosecutions staged a walkout to seek more pay, as the country braces for further union strikes amid a mounting cost of living problem that has seen inflation reach 9.1 percent, a 40-year high.
According to the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), barristers voted for action earlier this month, with more than 80 percent of its 2,055 members supporting walkouts.
Real wages in criminal court proceedings have dropped 28 percent since 2006, with rookie barristers receiving a median salary of only 12,200 pounds ($15,030) in their first three years, pushing many to leave the profession.
They are asking for a 15% raise in their salaries for doing so-called legal aid work, which is paid by the government.
As part of the protest, leading criminal attorneys would fail to admit new cases or cover for colleagues on five days over the following four weeks.
The strikes, according to the lawyers, were necessary to keep the already creaking criminal justice system and COVID-19 pandemic long delays from coming to a halt.
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