Conciliator hears both sides in Judiciary strike
Private practice lawyer Modecai Msisha, a conciliator between government and Judiciary support staff currently on a strike, on Friday heard both sides’ arguments at a meeting in Blantyre.
The government side, according to Judiciary spokesperson, Mlenga Mvula, was led by lawyer Apoche Itimu, representing the Attorney General, budget director Chauncy Simwaka and two other officers from Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and Department of Human Resource, Management and Development.
The Judiciary support staff was led by Charles Lisigeni, the Judiciary workers union president. Judiciary’s controller of human resources and other officials from accounts and administration departments also attended the meeting.
Mvula said Msisha is expected to release his recommendations by this week.
The Judiciary support staff agreed to have a mediator in the push for their demands for house allowance, after they rejected the Malawi Law Society (MLS) from bringing together the two sides.
The workers have been demanding housing allowances, which Parliament approved in last July. After seeing no progress on the matter, the Judiciary workers went on a sit-in on May 2 this year, but AG then, Kalekeni Kaphale, obtained an injunction on the basis that the strike did not comply with Section 44 of the Labour Relations Act, which was later vacated.
Their grievances date back to 2014 when they started pushing for a 45 percent salary increment, but along the lines of the 46 percent government gave the mainstream civil service, they only got 18 percent and now want the difference.
