Malawi judicial workers feel short-changed: To strike again

The country’s judicial support workers – who have been on strike for two months in November and December and only returned to work for a month –   have threatened that they would withdraw their labour again if government does not fulfil its promises.

Some of the support staff captured  at the High Court in Blantyre
Some of the support staff captured at the High Court in Blantyre

Malawi’s judiciary support staff went on strike last November to demand a 60-percent salary increase after other civil servants – including teachers – received 46-percent pay raises from the government.

The strike had paralyzed Malawi’s justice system, hindering proceedings in the high-profile “Cashgate case,” in which billions of kwacha were stolen from state coffers.

Judiciary spokesperson Mlenga Mvula said ] during the last meeting between government and a special working committee on conditions of service of Malawi judiciary, an agreement was reached that they should return to work while negotiations continued.

But Mvula said  since then when they started work earlier in January 2015, “ government has hibernated, playing hide and seek and it seems not to be interested in the talks anymore.”

The local press quoted the Judiciary spokesman as saying: “We are willing to work and serve the country ,but if the worse comes to the worst, we will have no choice, but to put down tools again.”

Chief Secretary to government George Mkondowa said: “Apart from the silence, we have not been idle because we have finalised some documentation (on their demands) and everything is fine.”

Malawi’s court system  suffered a serious backlog of legal cases following the strike and  fresh threats of labour withdraw will affect delivery of justice more.

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nabanda
9 years ago

U r just wasting yo tym,mesa mudamuika pitala pampando ndinuyo a court ndi a mec.musatibowe apa!

Monkey
Monkey
9 years ago

HAVING PERUSED ALL COMMENTS AND THE MOTHER STORY; I HAVE SEEN THAT MOST MALAWIANS DO NOT KNOW THE IMPACT OF WHAT THEY SAY HERE. THEY DO NOT EVEN KNOW THAT THIS COULD BE A YARDSTICK FOR A POSSIBLE DICTATORSHIP. IT SEEMS MALAWI IS READY TO BE WITHOUT THE COURTS COS OF A MERE STRIKE BY THE JUDICIARY.

Tuyuni
9 years ago

Umbuli uzatha liti anthu a chigawo chakumwera?

chefourpence
9 years ago

kodi 160 million anakupatsani JB ija yatha? Wakupatsani ina? We know the first one was to allow her access a Green card as a result of the Judiciary’s inability to respond to the US govt inquiry on JB within 21 days. You all deserve to be fited!

Chitotoka
Chitotoka
9 years ago

Fire them malova apezepo nganyu apa strike chani apa? Uzeleza yayi

The Truthful One from the West
The Truthful One from the West
9 years ago

I have seen so many negative comments against judicial support workers which show that many Malawians are ignorant. You cannot say govt should fire them-under which law? Malawi is not a dictatorship where the decisions of one man, the state president, cannot be challenged. Any decision by Peter Mutharika that is not backed by the law will be quashed by courts. Ena mukuti ofuna ntchito ndi ambili ndiposo kuli mabvuto amene abwela ndikusefukila kwa madzi. Izi sizipatsa mphamvu boma kuti lisatsate malamulo. Apa chowona ndichoti boma pena pake likulephela ntchito. Most you commenting negatively did not read the Attorney General’s… Read more »

dambudzo mwasanya.
dambudzo mwasanya.
9 years ago

So u mean this judicial people are the only important people in the Malawian Job Sector?You mean other people in other fields have not been affected with this unbearable cost of living?We all go into the same shops kaya Mlonda,Court Clerk,Lawyer kaya whatsoever.Mumaziona ngati tima profession tinato nditofunikira kwambiri?These judicial people are becoming more selfish.

Kennedy
9 years ago

Inu a Judiciary musatibowepo apa how special is law kuti muzingotisokosa. Media reports have revealed kuti enanu ndinu aulesi heavy koma akati salary hike eh ndiye patsogolo. Chilima told it all that you cant say teachers, nurses, policemen, doctors are lazy people kumeneko akuti ndikulakwa kwakukulu.

MJ boy
9 years ago

Nanga kumjati support staff! Osangowachotsa ntchito bwanji? Asatinyase atikwana heavy mxiii.anzawo ku CHAM malipiro sanakweze koma mwamva kuti achita strike,ntchito zofunika osati yanuzo. Ntchito kumasulira zizungu zokhotakhota basi

Mwihavani
Mwihavani
9 years ago

I thought the judicial supporting staff are graduates. I only realised that most of them are secondary school dropouts. How can one strike on behalf of a judge in order to force the Government to buy the judge a new car?? Senseless!!!

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