Sheriffs will walk off the job at Wollongong Courthouse on Thursday (1 August). Photo: NSW Courts.
Courthouses across the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and Southern Tablelands may be impacted by a sheriffs’ two-hour stop-work on Thursday (1 August).
The sheriffs will walk off the job at 8:30 am to protest about lack of staffing and poor pay.
The action will affect 18 courthouses across the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and adjacent districts including Port Kembla, Kiama, Albion Park, Nowra, Milton, Batemans Bay, Moruya, Narooma, Bega, Eden, Bombala, Queanbeyan, Braidwood, Cooma, Yass, Crookwell, Goulburn and Moss Vale.
The strike action will also affect six courthouses in southern and southwest Sydney including Campbelltown, Camden, Picton, Sutherland and Kogarah.
Public Service Association General Secretary Stewart Little said sheriffs had tried to play by the rules, but they were ignored for more than two years.
Sheriffs enforce the law and provide court security. Their security duties involve maintaining the security of court complexes, many of which have airport-style perimeter security and scanning to ensure the safety of judges, magistrates, lawyers and the public.
“In mid 2022 there was an agency restructure and the senior leadership of the Office of the Sheriff got a significant pay bump,” Mr Little said.
“In 2023 there was a review of sheriffs’ pay but the report was never released under ‘cabinet in confidence’.
“Sheriffs waited patiently, and were told the matter would be resolved in the 2024 budget, but when it was delivered in mid June nothing happened, and now they’ve been fobbed off again with some other made up bureaucratic process, so sheriffs have just had enough.
“Sheriffs are highly trained in what is risky and stressful work.
“Sheriffs need a solid pay bump to reflect the dangerous work they do; when enforcing court orders they’ll be entering people’s properties wearing stab proof vests, carrying capsicum spray, batons and handcuffs. It’s difficult work.
“Sheriffs put their lives on the line in courthouses to make sure judges, lawyers and members of the public are safe from crooks and criminals, yet they are paid the same as people with desk jobs and administration roles at the courthouse; it’s just not on.”
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