Government reiterates its stand on Judiciary pay hike demands

Government reiterates its stand on Judiciary pay hike demands

Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Goodall Gondwe on Sunday said vowing to demands of salary increment being made by Judicial staff currently on strike would defeat the whole purpose of salary harmonization process.

The judicial staff wants their salary adjusted corresponding to the rate that has been implemented for Civil Servants but government says what has happened in the Civil Service is a salary restructuring exercise and not general increment.

Goodall Gondwe maintained that there has been disparity in salaries to the effect that a driver from one department would get more than a professional from other departments and in the same way the Judicial officers and supporting staff have always had higher salaries than other officers in comparable grades within the Civil Service.

He said current salary harmonization is part of public order to end salary chaos that has happened for so many years. He said to get to that new level those that were getting more than in the civil service meant that they would get a smaller increment.

He said there is a very good reason for this procedure, though others are against it by demanding increment equivalent to one implemented to other civil servants.

“The question there is that, if we were to do that then the policy of harmonization and issue of propriety that we want to achieve would not be achieved. And a number of people think that we have been hardhearted in this.” Said Gondwe

“There is a very good reason for this, apart from the fact that we don’t have resources. We have to have harmonization in civil service. The service is not working well because we have a disjointed salary scale. It is not possible for a lawyer for example in the ministry of justice to work very whole heartedly when he is getting almost three quarters of what his colleague in Judiciary is getting yet have same education level or work same hours. Therefore the impetus to work hard and work with dedication is very much interrupted.”

He added that the aim of harmonization therefore is to get to have alignment that can contribute towards the dedication and hardworking spirit in public service.

But the minister said government will ensure that there is continued discussion with the judiciary so that they are back to work.

On salary adjustments to elected officers (President and his deputy, Members of Parliament and cabinet Ministers) Gondwe said this was done as part of salary structuring particularly of cabinet ministers which has been neglected since 2005. He said government in the course maintained comparative salary adjustments of MPs Ministers, President and his deputy.

He said government has made a minor increment in the salaries of these elected officers since current figures are mainly a reflection of amalgamated basic wage (which was very little) with some of their allowances. He therefore said government maintained MPs salary at 50% of salaries that Cabinet Minister’s get and those salaries of Ministers, Vice President and President remain at a difference of two third each.

Meanwhile President Mutharika together with Vice President Chilima have deferred their new salary until the economy is back on track.