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Judiciary staff back to work

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Judiciary support staff resumed work yesterday following a meeting between the workers’ representatives and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs on Friday in Lilongwe.

Judiciary Members of Staff Union (Jumsu) spokesperson Andy Haliwa confirmed in an interview yesterday that they have ended their strike after the government agreed to consider their demands.

“We agreed that a taskforce should be formed to review our grievances in 14 days and send a report to the Minister of Finance for consideration,” he said.

Haliwa added that they are confident their grievances will be resolved because the Ministry of Finance and Jumsu have signed a memorandum of understanding.

Some of the staff at the High Court in Blantyre
during the strike on Thursday

The Judiciary support staff strike, which was held on Thursday and Friday, paralysed justice delivery in the country and led to suspension of cases.

But during a visit to the Judiciary headquarters in Blantyre yesterday, The Nation found support staff such as messengers, drivers and clerks on duty while hearing of a case in one of the courtrooms was in session.

Association for Magistrates in Malawi had also threatened to launch its own industrial action, but the association’s president Kondani Chinangwa said yesterday that they were part of the Friday meeting.

According to him, the task force which will comprise technocrats from the Ministry of Finance and the Judiciary, will also present a report to Parliament on issues concerning magistrates and judges.

He said: “But in the event that there is nothing that is coming out of the task force, that is meeting the concerns of the magistrates, then we will proceed to go on strike.” 

Malawi Supreme Court and High Court registrar Kondwani Banda said he would respond later when asked for his comment.

However, on the first day of the strike last week, Banda expressed hope that the issue would be resolved as soon as possible to prevent continued disturbance of court processes.

The Judicature Administration Act stipulates a revision of conditions of service for Judiciary support staff every three years, but the last increment was implemented in 2018.

In 2022, Judiciary support staff also went on strike for a week to demand salary increment,  which was supposed to be implemented in 2021, but they resumed work after they were promised that the grievances would be honoured in April 2023.

The support staff now wants the ministry to implement the 2021 increment and pay them arrears.

On the other hand, the magistrates is demanding salary a review and restoration of a clause in the conditions of service that accords magistrates duty-free importation of motor vehicles.

According to association, they were not consulted when the clause was removed.

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