Judges and magistrates nationwide have suspended the strike they intended to embark on regarding the non-implementation of the 10 percent salary increment.
Sources close to the judges claim that negotiations with the government and key stakeholders are currently at an advanced stage.
He noted that it was necessary the judges called off the strike as negotiations had progressed, adding, “Our series of engagements with the government were open and positive.”
The source stated that the judges had suspended the strike “for the time being, given that the Judicial Council had taken over the matter” and as such, “would not be prudent to embark on the strike while negotiation was underway.”
He further told DAILY GUIDE that the gesture was to allow the processes initiated towards the final resolution of the impasse to continue unimpeded.
Although yesterday was the deadline for the strike, all the judges and the magistrates were at post performing their duties.
Two weeks ago, the aggrieved party issued a final warning to the government to pay their approved salary increment or face their wrath.
According to the judges, the government’s feet dragging and indifference through the Finance Minister had created frustration and anxiety among them as several letters to the minister had yielded no results.
The circuit court judges and the magistrates were emphatic that they would abandon the courts on November 21, 2016, if Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) government failed to pay their cash.
Ultimatum
The judges and the magistrates have over the months been battling with the government over the non-implementation of the 10 percent salary increment which they insist was approved by the late President John Atta Mills in 2012.
It may be recalled that the judges in September handed the government a 10-day ultimatum to pay the money or they would embark on strike by September 30, this year.
Again in June, this year, the judges called for the immediate withdrawal of a letter from Julius Debrah, the Chief of Staff, that sought to vary the conditions of service for circuit court judges and magistrates.
Earlier in a statement issued in Accra and addressed to the Chief Justice – a copy of which is in the custody of DAILY GUIDE – the judges and the magistrates said, “Respectfully, Honorable Chief Justice, we humbly wish to inform you that the letter addressed to the Minister for Finance has not received any attention.”
The statement, signed by Aboagye Tandoh, a circuit court judge and representative of the judges of the lower bench, said the attention of the CJ was being drawn to the matter because of the undue delay.
He explained, “This is particularly so because the implementation of the conditions of service of the lower bench has been characterized with frequent interruptions and disruptions since 2013.”
Mr. Tandoh further argued, “We have observed that these disruptions and interferences with our conditions of service have occurred as a result of the erroneous manner in which the concerns of other institutions have been addressed, even though these matters are not related to the judges and the magistrates of the lower bench.”
The statement, copied of which were sent to the Chief of Staff, Finance Minister and the Judicial Secretary, stated, “We wish to reiterate that our conditions of service as approved by the late President Mills, have never been a mistake but the mistake being alleged is a creation of people whose sole interest is to interfere with the conditions of service of judges and magistrates…”
No End in Sight
Later in an interaction with journalists, Mr. Tandoh said there seemed to be no end in sight to the controversy.
The judge continued, “Our issues have nothing to do with staff, if staffs have problems that they are legitimately entitled they must be given and not to create problems for the judges of the lower bench.”
Mr. Tandoh added, “We have seen that under the circumstance, that has been created; our members are not in the mood to go with these acts of interference if the issue of the 10 per cent is not addressed”.
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