Having copped much flack for suspending their nationwide legal aid boycott, one couldn’t blame those in charge at the Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association and London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association for feeling a little vindicated by their decision this morning.

Following their announcement on Friday, one lawyer tweeted: ‘What would the RMT make of us?’

Tube unions had been planning two 24-hour strikes this week in a dispute over a new night tube service. But perhaps they thought the solicitors were onto something?

Three days after the CLSA and LCCSA said they were suspending their boycott as a ‘gesture of goodwill’ to the Ministry of Justice, Unite said it was suspending industrial action on London Underground as a gesture of ‘goodwill’.

The CLSA and LCCSA said on Friday they ‘looked forward’ to a continuing open dialogue with the government.

Unite said yesterday it would continue to approach talks with London Underground ‘in a positive manner’.

The practitioner groups thanked those who had ‘stood firm in support of their principles’. The RMT paid tribute to members who ‘have remained united and rock-solid throughout this dispute’.

The LCCSA told the Gazette it was the outraged solicitors’ strength of feeling ‘which has got us this far and takes us to the next stage’.

The RMT said it was it was the determination of those union members who had remained united and rock-solid ‘which has enabled us to make the progress that we have so far’.

Should the practitioner groups have to resume action, at least no one can unfavourably compare them with other unions.

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