Judiciary shut down in Blantyre
Judiciary support staff in Blantyre downed tools yesterday after negotiations on housing allowance with the Judiciary Committee on Conditions of Service yielded nothing.
The strike affected the Supreme Court of Appeal, High Court, Commercial Division and Industrial Relations courts and the magistrate’s courts in Blantyre and Limbe.
There is a fear that the strike may extend to other districts and regions.
The support staff gave Judiciary administration a 14-day ultimatum to give them feedback, which expired on Thursday.
Supreme Court of Appeal and High Court registrar Joseph Chigona could not pick his mobile phone yesterday when we wanted to find out why and how the negotiations have collapsed.
One irate staff said: “The registrar told us on Thursday that they will be ready with feedback by next week Tuesday, but we could not take that because the ultimatum we gave them expired on Thursday.
“We will carry on until our grievances are addressed. We have assurances from our colleagues in other districts and regions that they will follow suit.”
Recently, the Judiciary top brass, led by Chigona convinced the support staff, who had threatened a strike, to return to work after assuring them that they would take the matter to the Judiciary Committee on Conditions of Service.
What has sparked the strike is a revelation Weekend Nation made few weeks ago that judges and magistrates are out of the consolidated perks group of public servants into a category that must get government housing or an allowance where houses are not available.
The support staff yesterday marched within the High Court premises while they were hoisting tree branches and chanting.
They accused their superiors of being greedy and not willing to fight for them.
An irate support staff said: “We questioned why the judges and the magistrates should leave us behind on this? We always move together but we are surprised our bosses have been specially considered and nothing is said about us.
“We don’t want a scenario such as the one during the administration of the former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika when we went on strike for months to press for what we were entitled to.”
The Judiciary staffer said they expected the same consideration on housing to trickle down to them.
In the Weekend Nation story, Treasury spokesperson Nations Msowoya said the consideration of housing or an allowance where houses are not available for judges and magistrates was not immediately implementable.
Msowoya said they were still looking at the proposal and were discussing the implementation plan with the Judiciary.
