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Govt settles Judiciary pay dispute

The Malawi Government has rectified Judiciary staff pay irregularities by offering them a 27 percent salary increment arrears as part of their conditions of service implementation.

The decision follows a long-standing battle with the disgruntled employees who rendered the country’s courts inaccessible for almost a month after they went on strike.

Flashback: Some of the placards posted at the gates of the High Court of Malawi and Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal premises in Blantyre

Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development spokesperson Davis Sado, High Court of Malawi and Supreme Court of Appeal Registrar Agnes Patemba and Andy Haliwa, spokesperson of Judiciary support staff, all confirmed the development in separate interviews on Wednesday.

“The issue of their conditions of service was being dealt with the leadership of the members of staff and the office of the registrar. Government has been negotiating with them but it has now been resolved and proper correspondence has been made so, for further details, talk to them,” said Sado.

On her part, Patemba said: “I can confirm that the Ministry of Finance approved the conditions of service for members of staff for the Judiciary with effect from May 7 2018.”

But Haliwa said government only corrected an anomaly it created by failing to honour their conditions of service when it differentiated provision of percentages on salary increment between them and civil servants last year.

“Last year, government gave us 18 percent salary increment while our friends in the civil service got 45 percent. That was against our conditions of service. So, we have been discussing with government after the Chief Justice appointed a Judiciary Task force to discuss the matter alongside members of the Judiciary Union,” he explained.

Haliwa: Other issues not solved

According to Haliwa, government last revised their conditions of service in 2006; hence, their argument to be considered for improvement.

He explained that people must not regard the 27 percent as a pay rise but arrears as the same was already approved by government sometime back.

“The salary increment would be the 20 percent for junior civil servants that Honourable Goodall Gondwe just announced last week,” said Haliwa.

But when asked whether government has funds for the increments, Sado said despite the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) posting below target collections, government was optimistic that it will finance everything because its projections are showing growth in revenue.

However, Haliwa said the issue regarding their housing allowances was yet to be resolved as the matter between government and the Judiciary is coming for mediation on May 29 2018 before Justice Anabel Mtalimanja in Lilongwe.

“And if we don’t reach an agreement the matter will go for trial before Justice Charles Mkandawire,” he said.

Last year, Gondwe triggered fury among the workers when he said government made a mistake when it started paying them housing allowances as all civil servants get a clean wage that includes basic pay and housing allowance.

Meanwhile, the Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) has said they have not finalised their negotiations with government on their pay rise.

CSTU general secretary Madalitso Njolomole said yesterday they would meet with the Government Negotiation Team (GNT) before coming up with a position.

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