Maputo, 22 Jul (AIM) – Mozambican Justice Minister Helena Kida, cited by the independent television station STV, has said that the threatened strike by the country’s judges may not go ahead, thanks to the negotiations under way between the government and the Mozambican Association of Judges (AMJ).
The AMJ has warned that, unless the government responds positively to its list of demands, the strike will start on 9 August and last for 30 days. The AMJ promised that the strike will be limited. The courts will not close, and the judges will handle cases deemed urgent.
Kida said the list of demands from the AMJ was very long, and it would be impossible to meet all of them.
“The effort which is now being made”, she said, “is to see which, among this list of demands can be replied to right now, and, naturally, to find space to see how we can gradually respond to the other concerns”.
The government, Kida added, had wanted to reply to everything by 9 August, but “some solutions need more time”.
“What we are doing is looking at the list, and trying to prioritise”, she said.
Kida said the government is doing all in its power to respond to the judges’ complaints, but progress will have to be gradual. It would be simply impossible to meet all the judges’ demands simultaneously
Kida said she is aware that other branches of the judiciary are considering taking strike action, including judges in the administrative, fiscal and customs tribunals. These judges, who are not covered by the AMJ, have been meeting and may well produce their own lists of demands.
The AMJ believes that the interests of judges were seriously damaged by implementation of the Single Wages Table (TSU) in the public administration as from 2022. The AMJ regarded the TSU as a wage cut, but it is hard to see how it can now be reversed.
The judges are also demanding the financial independence of the judiciary. The AMJ wanted to see the courts and the Attorney-General’s Office to become independent of the government.
(AIM)
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