The judiciary strike which has been affecting the justice delivery system since November 10, 2014 is finally over and the courts are expected to open today.
In separate interviews Thursday, both Secretary to the Government, George Mkondiwa, and Judiciary Principal Public Relations Manager, Mlenga Mvula, confirmed that the judicial officers have agreed to end the strike.
“The strike is over and we are resuming our duties tomorrow [today]. We have discussed with the government and we have agreed to go back to work. All courts will reopen tomorrow and every judicial officer is supposed to report for duties because everything is water under the bridge now. We have agreed in all terms and conditions,” Mvula said.
While Mkondiwa said he was yet to be informed on the conditions that led to the resolution, Mvula said they will release a statement on the agreed conditions later.
“I have just been informed that they had a meeting where they agreed and the judicial officers will be resuming their duties. However, if there are any conditions, I will be getting them in due course,” Mkondiwa said.
This follows a petetion signed by many chiefs asking President Peter Mutharika to fire all government workers who are currently on strike without compensation, arguing their conduct was ‘unacceptable and a manifestation of lack of patriotism.’
The chiefs made the appeal through their petition titled “Traditional leaders against strikes by public servant” which Chief Secretary George Mkondiwa received Tuesday morning in Blantyre.
In their petition, the chiefs argued ‘things in the country have reached a point where they can no longer remain silent about abominable behaviour of public servants who are shunning away from work’.
“We condemn the strikes at the courts, Ant-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and university of Malawi and wish to state that the chiefs do not condone such reckless behaviour. Forcing government to raise salaries of civil servants at a time when there is a financial crisis in the country is unacceptable.
The judiciary employees were demanding an average salary increase of 45 percent. However, the government had been reluctant to do so arguing it is in the process of harmonising salaries in the public service and judiciary staff already receives high salaries compared to other officers in the mainstream civil service.
