A multitude of cases were postponed at the country’s busiest magistrate’s court because court officials were taking part in a march on Friday to highlight their grievances.
The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu)‚ which says it has about 4 700 members in the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development‚ organised the march to the department’s Pretoria headquarters to hand over a memorandum of grievances.
Court interpreters and clerks from the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court were among those who joined the march.
A court official‚ who did not want to be named‚ had said there would be a total shut-down. Though courts continued to work‚ many cases could not go ahead.
Thulani Skosana of Nehawu said they would hand the memorandum to Justice Minister Michael Masutha. The union had called off a one-day strike and march on October 28 because the minister was not available.
Nehawu’s grievances include alleged corruption in the awarding of tenders and alleged nepotism in the appointment of managers.
The union claims many court officials remain on lower employment levels with the pay that goes with it‚ while performing the work of higher-level employees.
It also says the department has been too slow in implementing a 2013 directive from the department of public service and administration which stated that employees on lower levels‚ such as clerks and interpreters‚ should be absorbed into supervisory levels.
Department of Justice spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga did not respond earlier to requests for comment.
Skosana said if the union did not receive a satisfactory response to its members’ grievances‚ it would embark on an indefinite nationwide strike until its demands were met.
Cases delayed as court officials march
The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu)‚ which says it has about 4 700 members in the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development‚ organised the march to the department’s Pretoria headquarters to hand over a memorandum of grievances.
Court interpreters and clerks from the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court were among those who joined the march.
A court official‚ who did not want to be named‚ had said there would be a total shut-down. Though courts continued to work‚ many cases could not go ahead.
Thulani Skosana of Nehawu said they would hand the memorandum to Justice Minister Michael Masutha. The union had called off a one-day strike and march on October 28 because the minister was not available.
Nehawu’s grievances include alleged corruption in the awarding of tenders and alleged nepotism in the appointment of managers.
The union claims many court officials remain on lower employment levels with the pay that goes with it‚ while performing the work of higher-level employees.
It also says the department has been too slow in implementing a 2013 directive from the department of public service and administration which stated that employees on lower levels‚ such as clerks and interpreters‚ should be absorbed into supervisory levels.
Department of Justice spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga did not respond earlier to requests for comment.
Skosana said if the union did not receive a satisfactory response to its members’ grievances‚ it would embark on an indefinite nationwide strike until its demands were met.
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