Court employees union calls for improved conditions to halt brain drain

The UCLE, one of several unions representing court employees, noted how court messengers and clerks are paid only between €850 and €950 every four weeks

The ULCE, one of several trade unions representing court employees, has called for better conditions for court workers, as well as the recruitment of more staff to complement the appointments of new magistrates.

Speaking to reporters this morning the union’s president Simon Simpson, highlighted the fact that the union was still not officially recognised by the government, but was encouraging its members and all court employees to “pull on the same rope and continue to give 100% in their service to the public.”

Simpson welcomed justice minister Jonathan Attard’s pledge, made on yesterday’s edition of discussion program Xtra, to introduce reforms to the justice sector. But he also observed that the minister had failed to mention the pitifully low wages received by court messengers and clerks. 

These essential workers were only paid between €850 and €950 every four weeks, said the union, arguing that more thought could have been given to providing a structured career path to these employees, with a rising scale of pay grades and responsibilities. This would incentivise current employees and attract new ones, Simpson argued.

“In these past months, we had several very promising messengers and clerks who had no alternative but to move to the private sector,” he said, also pointing out that this was a waste of the time and effort involved in training them.

Nothing had been done to improve facilities at the court building in Gozo, which had not been refurbished in the past 50 years, he said. The union argued that adequate space on the periphery of Victoria, Gozo, must be found for new premises, befitting the workers and judiciary who work there, as well as parking spaces for both employees and the public.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the union’s president Simon Simpson highlighted the fact that the union was still not officially recognised by the government, but was nonetheless encouraging its members and all court employees to “pull on the same rope and continue to give 100% in their service to the public”.