Courts closed by first strike in 800 years

Hundreds of court hearings were postponed yesterday when staff took official industrial action for the first time in their 800-year history over pay.

The strike by court clerks, ushers and administrative staff closed 33 of 76 courts in the West Midlands. It will embarrass ministers, who tomorrow unveil a shake-up of the criminal justice system.

Members of the AMO union are frustrated at the results of a national pay harmonisation scheme, which led to about a quarter of the West Midlands workers facing wage cuts.

Rosie Eagleson, AMO's general secretary, said members wanted compensation for all those facing a pay cut. "Hundreds of members are on strike and I would estimate that well over half the courtrooms in the region are not operating," she said.

"The Government intends to make modernisation of the criminal justice system the cornerstone of its legislative programme this year, and these changes must be properly funded," she said. "I hope the message gets through to the Government that modernisation does have a cost and they cannot expect our members to pay for it out of their wage packets."

The Government will introduce its reforms to the criminal justice system tomorrow in the Queen's Speech.

"We would much rather this had been settled through normal channels but regrettably, we've had to break a long history of industrial peace," Ms Eagleson said.

A spokesman for the Lord Chancellor's Department said industrial disputes were a matter for the magistrates' courts committee, the independent body that runs the courts. He said: "The Government does not want to see any reduction in the level of service provided to those living in the West Midlands. However, there is no case for any special treatment by central government to resolve this dispute, which remains a local matter."