Court registrar union to strike on Monday if no staff vaccination plan presented

The Union of Deputy Registrars Law Courts (UDRLC) has given the court administration a Friday deadline to vaccinate its staff or face industrial action starting Monday. 

The union’s president, Simon Simpson, told this newspaper that despite it having written to the courts’ CEO Frank Mercieca with its demands earlier this month, vaccinations were not forthcoming and that the court’s staff were being “led by the nose.” 

In an email sent this morning to Mercieca, Simpson said that a “sort of” agreement had been reached with the administration two weeks ago and signatures of those interested in receiving the vaccine were collected. 

“But now 15 days have passed and to date we have heard nothing. Therefore, we are giving until Friday 26 March to be informed of the date on which the vaccination will be administered. If by that date we are not going to receive confirmation in writing, the Union - which represents the majority of deputy registrars in the Courts - will give directives to its members, starting Monday 29 March.” 

Contacted for comment, Mercieca said that he was in communication with the health authorities and was waiting for feedback from them before he would be able to give a date. 

“I can’t stop them from taking industrial action, but we are taking all the precautions we can [to protect staff].”  Perspex shields have been installed in the registry and courtrooms, staff are working on a day in-day out basis and temperature checks are carried out on everyone entering the building, explained the CEO. “I wish to point out that there doesn’t appear to have been a single case of COVID -19 contracted from the registry of courts,” Mercieca added.