New collective deal reached for Ministry of Justice staff after lengthy dispute and strikes

The strikes also included a refusal to serve, check and sign legal documents - leading to a logjam of adjourned cases at the country's busiest courts. Photo / Dean Purcell

A new collective deal has been reached between the Government and its disgruntled Ministry of Justice workers, who will be paid six per cent more from mid-next year.

The Public Service Association (PSA) said the long-running industrial dispute has finally been resolved today with the agreement, which includes a gender pay gap working group.

"For the current financial year most members will receive a 4 per cent increase, increasing to 6 per cent from July 2019. Just as importantly the ministry will now be moving to a step-based pay system and automatic progressions which it had consistently resisted," PSA national secretary Glenn Barclay said.

The industrial action, between September 19 and November 30, included more than 30 strikes and work-to-rule stoppages, Barclay said.

The PSA's strikes also included a refusal to serve, check and sign legal documents - leading to a logjam of adjourned cases at the country's busiest courts.

"Our members only took actions that disrupted the courts as a last resort, and it is both notable and significant that during this time their right to take those actions was supported by the Employment Court," Barclay said.

The Employment Court was called on to determine an injunction application by the ministry to stop the short-notice "lightning strikes" because of safety concerns.

The court dismissed the application.

Security fears also were raised by New Zealand Law Society president Kathryn Beck and New Zealand Bar Association (NZBA) vice-president Jonathan Eaton QC after a brawl in a Christchurch courtroom.

The deadlock was initially broken after a day of Employment Court-ordered negotiations late last month.

New collective agreements have also been reached this year at Inland Revenue, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Internal Affairs, Statistics New Zealand, Parliamentary Service, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, Land Information New Zealand, Te Puni Kokiri, and, earlier this week, the Ministry of Social Development.

The Ministry of Justice was the lowest payer in the public service sector for 2017 and 2018, Barclay said, adding the PSA will push on with provisions supporting gender pay equality.