Rotating strikes by public sector employees continued across Quebec Tuesday.

Unions negotiating new contracts with the government say they're disappointed with a lack of progress.

Striking public service workers took out their frustrations by blocking access to the Montreal courthouse Tuesday morning.

Around 10 a.m., police were at the scene to allow public and essential workers inside and ordered demonstrators to clear access to the court house and disperse, but no one left.

About 30 minutes later, the protesters had moved away from the entrances to the building but were still demonstrating for several hours.

Public and parapublic service workers are among the unionized employees holding strikes on the second day of a week of protests over the slow pace of negotiations and the government’s offer.

“They're proposing three per cent over five years,” said Stephane Ruest of the Quebec Public Workers’ Union (SFPQ). “So that's zero, zero, one, one and one. That doesn't even respect the increase in the cost of living.”

Workers, he said, will be getting poorer with each passing year.

The demonstrations were organization by the Common Front, a coalition of Quebec unions. Also on strike Tuesday are workers from the Quebec City region, northern Quebec and the Gaspe, among other places.

A total of 125,000 unionized workers were off the job Tuesday.

Chanting “so-so-so, solidarité,” the group was outside for most of the morning and was still protesting loudly in the early afternoon.

The protest slowed things down inside the courthouse. Some trials were suspended because visitors didn't want to cross picket lines.

“There are trials that have been going on for ten days, eight days and they can't even continue these trials because they're blocking access to the courthouse. It's unbelievable,” said attorney Alan Stein.

Most criminal trials, however, are going forward because they’re considered to be essential services.

Protesters blocked the entrance to Complexe Desjardins Tuesday morning as well. Revenue Quebec has an office inside the complex.

In Quebec City, striking protesters formed picket lines outside government buildings. Employees who work in the buildings but who are members of unions that are not on strike walked in backwards as a show of symbolic support.

Union officials say the public sector itself is at risk from the government's austerity measures.

“With this proposal, workers will not join the public service, and many will leave,” said Caroline Bouffard of the SPFQ. “These offers from the government will be the death of our public service.”

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said even as his government has been trying to rein in spending, agreements have been reached with doctors and municipalities.

“So frankly, I see no reason why we couldn't get an agreement of that sort too with the public service unions,” he said.

Quebec has to balance the needs of unionized government workers with the services required by all Quebecers, said Couillard.

“Our government's aim is to have a negotiated settlement. That's what we are working on, that's the only scenario that right now we're working on,” he said.

Government workers have been without a contract since April and they say talks are going nowhere.

While government office workers will be back to back Wednesday, thousands will be off the job again in Montreal Thursday.

English-language schools, CEGEPs and hospitals will be affected.