Judiciary staff refuse to return to work

Striking Judiciary support staff have refused to return to work while negotiations with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs over implementation of their conditions of service progress.

In an interview last evening after meeting Judiciary management led by Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda, Judiciary Members of Staff Union (Jumsu) spokesperson Andy Haliwa said management requested them to resume work as they continue discussing with Treasury on their grievances.

But he said when Jumsu leadership communicated the proposal to the staff, it was rejected, meaning that the industrial action, which has put the wheels of justice at a standstill, will continue.

The Judiciary support staff nationwide yesterday went on strike to protest Treasury’s decision not to approve their new conditions of service.

In Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu, the staff barricaded entry to the court premises using tree branches to deny judges, magistrates, lawyers and other court users access to court facilities.

During the course of the strike, some staff were seen playing football and netball in the lawns while others took to bawo to while away the time.

In an interview yesterday, Jumsu president Charles Lizigeni said since 2020, they have been engaging the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs to improve their conditions of service such as salary and travel allowances, but to no avail.

He said the union last held a meeting with Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Sosten Gwengwe on November 9 2022 to discuss their grievances, but the meeting did not yield the desired results.

Lizigeni said: “We submitted our proposal to the Judicial Service Commission which was approved.

“The commission then submitted our proposals to the Minister of Finance who indicated that he had no problems with allowance increment, but we have not heard anything tangible from him.”

The industrial action compelled the Judiciary to indefinitely suspend all court proceedings that were expected to be handled yesterday. The decision affected at least 60 cases.

Among others, the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal failed to deliver judgements in cases involving businessperson Rolf Patel and others versus Press Corporation Limited on the ownership of Presscane Limited in Chikwawa and the case between NBS Bank plc and Capital Oil Refining Industry.

Industrial Relations Court Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu registries failed to handle about 62 cases yesterday.

The disgruntled Judiciary employees also barred Malawi Law Society president Patrick Mpaka from entering Judiciary headquarters premises in Blantyre.

In an interview yesterday, he described the support staff’s strike as “a serious inconvenience” to the access to justice.

Mpaka said access to justice is a constitutional right and that there could have been some better ways of addressing the staff’s grievances.

Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda said in an interview his office has also been engaging Jumsu leadership to find better ways of addressing the matter.

He said the industrial action would affect the justice system in the country.

In 2017, the Treasury approved an allocation of housing allowance for judicial officers leaving out the junior staff. This forced them to down tools for over three weeks.