UK Court Interpreters Stage February Walkout to Protest Work Conditions

On January 29, 2025, a call to action was published on the UK National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) by a group of interpreters identified as “The UK Court Interpreters (Level 6/Level 7)” asking court interpreters to withdraw services (stage walkouts) from HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) on multiple dates in February.

The interpreters are protesting low pay, lack of transparency in procurement processes, and a breach of trust by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). There have been five of these walkouts previously around the same issues. Interpreters are now calling for a sixth instance on February 17-18 and 20-21.

“We invite everybody to participate in stopping work, both directly contracted and through agencies, on those chosen days. It does not take much to stop working for one day, considering the rates we are receiving, and it will produce an impact, therefore the more of us together in it, the better,” reads the call to action.

The interpreters claim that the MoJ has failed to be transparent about its procurement processes, which has led to contracts being awarded to companies that pay low wages and offer poor working conditions. They also allege that the MoJ has breached their trust by failing to address their concerns about these issues.

Some of the previous protests have resulted in a meeting with the MoJ to discuss interpreters’ concerns, and in raising awareness of these matters in the media. Other gains mentioned in the call to action after previous walkouts were staff signing interpreters full booked shifts and providing better treatment.

Ongoing Government Inquiry

The interpreters have submitted documentation to the ongoing government inquiry into translation and interpreting services at the courts, which began in August 2024. 

In December 2024, the Chair of the House of Lords Public Services Committee, Baroness Morris of Yardley, urged the MoJ to pause the ongoing tender for language services as a result of unresolved issues concerning interpreters.

The interpreters are also calling on the public to support their cause. They are asking people to write to their MPs and to share information about their campaign on social media.

The changes interpreters are calling on the MoJ to make include immediate improvements to the terms and conditions of service. “We cannot work in the uncertainty that TBW/another agency introduces itself by changing their working conditions as they deem fit,” states the letter, referring to contract holder thebigword as TBW.

The interpreters say that they are willing to negotiate with the MoJ to reach a fair agreement. However, they are also prepared to take further action if their demands are not met. “We have to become stakeholders when the current tender is being discussed and it is not deemed fit for purpose as set out currently,” says the call to action.

The hope is that these protests will lead to a fairer deal for all court interpreters. A full list of grievances can be found in this document (PDF). 

Editor’s note: This article was updated on February 2nd to clarify that it is not the NRPSI that has made a call to action.