The Justice Administration Lawyers group, abbreviated as LAJ, announced a four day strike with the possibility of an unlimited stoppage starting in January if non compliance continues. The Ministry of Justice has agreed with the collective on several points to improve remuneration and related conditions, though updates and follow through are still being negotiated. The initial two strike days are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, with additional actions planned for December on the 14th and 15th.
LAJ members gathered briefly at the Assembly gates this Monday at noon. The courts in Alicante and Elche, along with ongoing monitoring of the strike, are expected to experience significant disruption, leading to substantial delays or suspensions of numerous cases and proceedings during the period of the strike call.
broken deals
All three associations issuing the strike acknowledge the inconvenience caused to the public, yet they insist that the Ministry of Justice has left them with no alternative due to the failure to fulfill contracts signed after the prior strike. Meetings with LAJ representatives have been canceled or not honored, intensifying the dispute.
Among the government promises cited as breached is a projection of savings amounting to fourteen million euros for the public purse. The consequences of these unfulfilled commitments are a central point of contention in the negotiation process.
LAJ notes that the Justice Ministry had pledged to revise and modernize productivity criteria, to implement changes in the nomination and classification of forensic doctors under the RD 1033/2017 framework, and to reduce the current five employee groups to three. The intention was to align the positions with the general administration and to ensure a fairer distribution of responsibility across the corps, thereby addressing perceived discriminatory effects.
It is also stated that the Ministry has promised to introduce an amendment to the Organizational Efficiency Act under consideration in the Congress of Deputies. The LAJ emphasizes that the consolidation clause affecting judges and the related reforms should reflect clear and practical improvements for all members of the legal profession.
organic regulation
The draft Organic Regulation of the Lawyers Guild has been prepared as a result of extensive collaboration between the associations and the ministry, yet it has not been published for review and adoption. The draft is said to reflect a shared effort to modernize the regulatory framework governing professional conduct and duties, but its release remains unclear to many practitioners and stakeholders. An additional unmet pledge concerns the creation and formalization of the professional career model, a framework that would define progression, compensation, and development paths within the profession.
In summary, LAJ and allied associations continue to press for timely fulfillment of negotiated terms, arguing that without continued dialogue and concrete action the public’s access to timely justice could be compromised. The groups maintain that their actions are a response to the absence of essential reforms and the desire to secure fair working conditions for legal professionals, which in turn support a functioning justice system for citizens and communities. The situation remains fluid as negotiators work toward a resolution and a sustainable framework for future labor relations within the justice sector. [Source: LAJ statements and union communications]