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.
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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U r just wasting yo tym,mesa mudamuika pitala pampando ndinuyo a court ndi a mec.musatibowe apa!
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.
Umbuli uzatha liti anthu a chigawo chakumwera?
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!
Fire them malova apezepo nganyu apa strike chani apa? Uzeleza yayi
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 advice to Peter Mutharika that the Executive does not have power to decide judicial officers salaries. Even on judicial support staff salaries it the Judicial Service Commission that has powers to decide and recommend salaries to the Minister of Finance which it did in 2012 but up to now Goodall Gondwe has not made a decision-may be because he is an old man and a spent force.
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.
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.
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
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!!!
Akumalandira zinthu ndalama zambiri kuhongedwa mkati zikufunewo ndi chiani? OsayamikaInu isieni Boma ithandize anthu omwe akuvutika madziiiii! Palipano mulibe chisoni eti MULUNGU AKULANGANI
Zauchisilu which gaffament, which chilima is he god or what people for him to be the servant not master, he intimediate people but not everybody stupid gaffament stulid leadership stupid police of a stupid gaffament lead by bwampin amd his cohorts
Solution is to fire them and the military should back up the support service in the judiciary up until new staff is hired.These dudes are dispensable!
Abale ingozisiyani zinazi. Strike mpakana liti. ? Cholinga mupose wina aliyense. Ifenso ndi ofunikiratu. Boma musawalipire amenewa tiwone. Zotengerana basi
If they start strike again government must dismiss them more over there are many people who have good grades at MSCE than them and are jobless.
These guys should be dismissed. They can’t hold the whole country at ransom useless MSCE guys . Anthu kumudzi akuziwa ntchito..let the try, I support Chilimaism if it means dismissing them,. What if police and army decide to strike.. These mere court interpreters should not bother us .q zopusa ! No we have had too much of this childish and nonpatriotism….kutathauzira Chichewa kutivuta nazo…get out get out
Go to helo judicially just try this time Ana athu akusowa ntchito RNA Ali ku UK tieayitana azalowe ntchito zo Agalu inu, why westing time of Malawians you are felling to prosecute Mphwiyo and the group just try!
Government MUST stop treating workers like kids or slaves in your homes. This is not a home busines where you can lie to your workers pamene your children travels to RSA for lunch on a government bills.
Its high time Govrnment should think of replacing some of the notorious court employees with those who have satisfactory hearts. Otherwise these greedy and proud employees will let us down big time.
Support staff, are you sure government agreed to what you’re claiming? And it’s in your contracts? Then demand your entitlements and see if the govt will dismiss you.
I know this government to be extremely stupid when it comes to decision making. As you are equally foolish government employees.
How does it take to agree or disagree, teach us.
Inuyo zitsiru, president chitsiru, your representatives mbuzi, how long are will this take to sorted out?
Crap!!!!!!
Anthu awa ndi agalu…Osangosiya ntchito bwanj? Naye Nyapapi kugona…osangowachotsa bwanj?
Tizingomva za inu every year?dziko lavuta aliyense you are lucky you have a job to play with your friends are loafing.deduct salaries if they strike again.shupit
These guys are stupid. Who do they think they are? These are mere unskilled clerics but they want to act as if they are important. We have more important people than them such as nurses, doctors, teachers, police men and women etc but they don’t bore us like these ignorant pigs. There is high unemployment in Malawi so just fire them and recruit others. Stupid. If they think they are not well paid let them resign and go elsewhere. Fotsek!!!
“He who seeks equity must do equity”. Do you reflect on some of your own doctrines you guys.
Bwana Chilima, just fire them all. Starting with one in that chitenje!!!! Adzakulowa pamu chombo awa!!!!
Its 35% not 46%
Anthu amenema akuzolowera kuli anthu ambiri amene akusowa ntchito achotsedwebasi akangoyambanso.
This time Malawians let’s organise ourselves and beat these selfish people once they start striking if they gather at the courts that is.
Panopo tili bndi vuto la floods,pls tatiyeni tidikire kaye zimenezo
Tione abale amene akhudzidwa ndi mavuto amadzi
Kodi tikhalire kumva za inu a Judiciary? Bvuto lanu ndi chiani? osangosiya ndikukayamba ntchito kwina kwake bwanji? Zankutu basi
Mwina ma judgements on Cash Gaters are going against their relatives, colleagues, paymasters. Nde zayamba kuopysa. The only option is to disturb the cases. If they do go seal the offices and let the unions pay them. SURELY, it would make sense JUST TO LEAVE or RESIGN if salaries are not enough.
Amene akuwona kuti ndalama zikuchepa zimene akulandila ndibwino kukayamba kwina kumene amalipira bwino.
behaving like laymans mmxi shame on you
Becareful guys at Judicial court with the government of Chilima. Its him now who is running the country and solving flood problems and if you dare him that VP is very serous. He can dismiss all of you. Ask the UNIMA’s employees who were on illegal strike. Their salaries have been deducted by 50 percent. For sure this time you will face something hard. chilima will be counting days you will be on strike and regard them as absenteeisms. Guys read the procedures in the labour laws. If ministry of labours can work with the government, many people can lose their jobs at the judicial court. In Malawi we are striking illegally. Parliament set the procedures for strike.Unfortunately the procedure is not followed and the Ministry of Labour is just very quite. It is the body of useless civil servants. Also the government of malawi should make use of Ministry of Labour. Ministry of Labour must intervene please. Help the government.
Achotsedwe ntchito onse chifukwa alibe umunthu , azathu alikuvutika ku Lowershire uku akusowa thandizo panopa tsono amenewa Kumadziva bwanji?
ALREADY,THEY HAV BEEN ON GO SLOW.HOW DO WE MEASURE THEIR PERFOMANCE AFTER THEY CALLED OFF STRIKE,MANY CASES ARE STILL UNATTENDED TO .THEY R SITTING ON CASES AND PRETEND TO BE WORKING.BEING FOUND AT OFFICE IS NOT COMMITMENT TO WORK,IT COULD BE JUST TO REGISTER YO PRESENCE ONLY WHILE PLAYIN GAMES ON COMPUTER.PLS MR CHILIMA CLEAN UP YOUR HOUSE AND DO NOT PA SALARIES FOR NO WORK DONE.
AMENE SAKUFUNA NTCHITO ASIYE. MAFUMU ANAPANGA KALE PETITION AND WINA AKANGOYEREKEZA PETER AWACHOTSA NTCHITO. BY THE WAY, INU MA SUPPORT STAFF A KU KHOTI, LEAVE THE ISSUE OF JUDGES CARS TO THE OWNERS. WHY TAKE ON BOARD GRIEVANCES THAT ARE NOT YOURS? DO SUPPORT STAFF ALSO DRIVE JUDGES’S CARS?
If you are not happy with the job just resign. The money you are demanding is coming from ordinary Malawians. Not all Malawians need the courts. There are others who were born and have died without entering the courts. Our disputes can be settled by chiefs. Fotseki tatopa nanu okuba inu.
These colleagues seem to be holding government to ransom …… they are talking like they are untouchables and the most important cadre among the professions …… it is baffling really. One would have thought that they will demand what they deserve according to some standard treatment. And what makes a clerk or a messenger working for the judiciary any more special than one working in another government sector? Is government so powerless to enforce equal treatment for people with similar qualification levels (first degree, MCE, diploma, JC, nothing to show, etc ) to be treated equally? ?
If I were the leader of Malawi for only a day – judicial striking workers, all of them would be fired, arrested, thrown in the Ruo river such that crocodile can have a party for a day. The reason for doing this is that, they are a people who understand the laws better and suppose to teach/instruct others of the work of government, let alone on the basis of zero budget – lets learn to make do with the little and wait for the better tomorrow brothers and sisters.
I was moved to note that even the ACB were also on strike, what the unfortunate – bring the money from those who stole it and then demand increase, you never even worked and you are crying for more cash – change of governance brings with it hardships – this democracy in Africa is hard to contain due to lack of love among ourselves, whoever comes in government, he/she is in for personal holiday and extravagance, where within 2 years a leader having 100 plus cars for personal use – what is this?
Terrorist! Take cover!!!!!
That is. taking the government and all Malawians hostage and demanding a ransom. A way to solve this selfish behaviour must be found.
Mungosiya ntchito ngati simukuyifuna.
angowachotsa okha sasiya timaphunziro tawonso nditoperewera ana athu ophunzira bwino akusowa ntchito
How do you expect justice employees to execute justice without justice being done to them?
Agalu inu eti anthu akulira cifukwa camadzi osefukira inu muziti nyonyo zowona!
Amalawi tinakhala bwanji maka ife akukayafe?
Tiyeni ticepese kuzikonda
paloponse pakuyambika zacisokonezo muzawona kuti oyambitsa ndi mtumbuka. Shitiii atumbukanu munya atitha kutimanga munthuyutu ndiwosata malamulo kwambiri.
Opanda surname kutukwana basi, akufuna zoona they r entitled to inu vuto ndi umbuli basi