_{It seems lawyers can sometimes understand a client’s business too well.}

A firm which acts for trade unions has been put on the defensive after its staff decided to join a union themselves and fight management for better pay and conditions.

Leigh Day routinely acts for unions, including GMB on behalf of Uber drivers seeking to be classified as employees.

Managing Partner Chris Benson specialises in providing advice to a number of trade unions in all areas including industrial action.

But now the call is coming from inside the house, with staff who have joined Unite encouraging their colleagues to join them in the struggle.

Flyers circulated round the office state that “We are still fighting for better conditions for all workers at Leigh Day - Paralegals, Facilities Staff, Receptionists, IT Staff – Everyone”.

Leigh Day’s Unite members accuse the firm of skimping on pay. “One-off discretionary bonuses do not make up for years of real-term wage cuts. We are still struggling to pay our bills and put food on the table”.

The sick pay policy is also “too low” as well as “too punitive and too opaque”.

“We need a transparent and accessible policy that supports everyone when unwell, especially those with chronic health conditions and disabilities”.

In an awkward parallel with the anti-gig economy cases which the firm fights on behalf of Uber and Addison Lee drivers, Leigh Day staff say their own employer is guilty of the same cheapskate employment practices.

“Not only does Leigh Day continue to use repeated, precarious, fixed term contracts - Paralegals are now being employed through external agencies”, the Unite staff state.

Their flyer declares that the more staff who join up, “the more power we will have to force LD to stick to the principles it was founded on”.

Benson told RollOnFriday, "As a claimant firm that works with trade unions, and given the overall nature of the work we do it is not surprising we have may staff who want to join a union”, and explained that prior to joining Leigh Day he was himself a branch secretary of the PCS union.  

"Many of the partners in our employment team have worked with and on behalf of trade unions and as claimant employment lawyers we support many of the aims of the trade union movement", he said.

But in this instance the union’s claims were inaccurate, said Benson.

Rejecting the suggestion that pay at the firm resulted in real-world wage cuts, he said that "We have always given staff pay increases we could afford and since I have been on the management board these have for many years been above inflation".

Benson also said the firm had never used discretionary bonuses as a substitute for fair pay. "They are a way of the firm sharing the financial benefit to all staff that results when either a large case brings in decent income or if we can afford to do so as a result of a large number of smaller cases being resolved".

He agreed that Leigh Day used an agency, 'Flex', to "recruit the large number of new joiners we needed", but said "We have worked very hard to ensure that staff recruited by Flex receive exactly the same terms and conditions Leigh Day staff who are recruited directly to the firm".

And while it was the case that some staff were on fixed term contracts, a "significant number" had visas which did not allow for permanent employment beyond a fixed period, he said. "In these circumstances we will continue to offer fixed term contracts rather than deny people an employment opportunity."

"While we recognise staff may want to join a union and I am absolutely happy for staff to do so, I believe that correspondence sent out should be accurate", said Benson.