Judiciary staff to get 40% arrears

Employees of the Judiciary, who ended their two and a half months strike at the weekend, on Tuesday clapped hands and cheered after Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo announced they will get their arrears dating back to 2007 by mid April 2012.

Munlo also told the Judiciary staff in Blantyre that they will have a salary increment implemented by end of April.

He said senior judicial officers such as judges, registrars and magistrates will get all their arrears in phases over the next three months effective April.

Munlo announced a 40 percent compounded arrears for the support staff from 2007 to 2010 and from 2011 to 2012 to the excitement of the staff who readily accepted to go back to work.

The arrears, to be paid at 10 percent annual increment, are for financial years 2007/2008, 2008/2009, 2009/2010 and 2011/2012. The staff would not get arrears for 2010/2011, having already received the money.

Speaking in an interview after the Chief Justice’s address, Judiciary support staff spokesperson Austin Kamanga quoted Munlo as saying that since the package for the Judiciary is reviewed every three years as provided by the law, there is a proposal to amend the constitutional clause to change the review to annual increments, just as is the case in the Common Civil Service.

Kamanga said: “It seems the three-year review was inconveniencing them [the Executive] considering that the civil service does get annual increments. They find it easier; it seems, to amalgamate the system.

“Everyone is happy with government’s commitment to paying the arrears. We are going back to work happy people. We are concerned there are people that suffered for our zeal to get what is legitimate to us, but we assure them of our commitment to serve them.”

The support staff in Blantyre did not return to work on Monday after the announcement to end the strike by Chief Secretary to Government Bright Msaka on Saturday in Lilongwe, waiting for Tuesday’s address by Munlo.

But in Lilongwe and Mzuzu, Judiciary officers started clearing the ground for resumption of work.