Magistrates' Court Legal Advisors and Court Associates to Strike Over Common Platform

Following a recent ballot of its Magistrates' Court Legal Advisor and Court Associate members, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has announced nine days of industrial action over the introduction of Common Platform (CP).

The 180 members voted 93% for strike action, 97% for action short of a strike on a turnout on 61%.

Action will take place between 10th and 18th September 2022.

According to the PCS, the decision to strike has arisen due to Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) "disgracefully":

• Failing to recognise the strength of members' feelings demonstrated by the ballot result and approach PCS to offer a meeting with a view to recognising and addressing CP's negative impact on members' health, safety and welfare; 
• Announcing further roll out of CP and continuing to gaslight members over Phase 2's 'success';
• Stating that if members refused to use CP they would refuse to pay them.

CP is a new case management system, designed to replace several existing systems. It would be fair to say that the introduction of CP has not been without problems or met with universal approval.

My region was one of the first to embrace the new system and although there is still the odd niggle we are now well practiced in how it works. Due to the staggered roll out, there are still a few courts that have no experience of CP at all.

The PCS accuses CP of sending work-related stress and anxiety levels "through the roof". It also accuses HMCTS of "gaslighting" its members, by pretending that everything is rosy in the CP garden.

The union has demanded that no further cases are inputted to CP until a suitable risk assessment has taken place and assurances have been received on the job security of its members.

A HMCTS spokesperson said: "We have been working with staff and unions on the rollout of Common Platform since September 2020 and it has already dealt with over 158,000 criminal cases. The Common Platform is key to modernising the court system, making it more efficient and fit for purpose."