Covid: Liverpool and Snaresbrook courts staff vote to strike over safety concerns

Staff at Liverpool's Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts work in the crown, magistrate and youth courts at the Derby Square site

Staff at two law court buildings have voted to take strike action over Coronavirus safety concerns.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union at Liverpool's Law Courts and Snaresbrook Crown Court in London backed industrial action.

The union has called for courts to be closed and reopened with regular testing of staff and increased safety measures.

A Courts and Tribunal Service spokesman said all courts were Covid-secure.

The union wants safety marshals to patrol court buildings and has called for lateral flow tests to be rolled out nationally.

'Deeply let down'

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said the vote was an "indictment of management's refusal to take Covid in the workplace seriously".

"Court staff have been working incredibly hard in this pandemic keeping the justice system running, but they feel deeply let down and are worried for their safety," he said.

The Courts and Tribunal Service spokesman said: "[The courts] meet strict Public Health England standards - there is no evidence of heightened transmission in our estate.

"It is regrettable a small proportion of our workforce voted for action, risking unnecessary disruption, but we remain focused on delivering justice safely and continue to engage with unions."