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.
