Justice minister to look into court workers' woes

The justice minister has promised to look into the grievances of court officials about their working conditions.

Minister for Justice and Correctional Services Michael Masutha accepted a memorandum detailing the grievances from members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) in Pretoria on Friday.

According to a statement by the department, Masutha said that the issues raised "would be assessed at ministerial level and that tangible proposals would be sought from within the department which could assist the resolution process".

Nehawu organised Friday's march to the department's Pretoria headquarters to hand over the memorandum of grievances. The union said it represents nearly 4 700 members in the department.

The grievances include unhappiness about the lack of promotion of court officials and their pay, 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 of the department of public service and administration (DPSA) which stated that employees on lower levels, such as clerks and interpreters, should be absorbed into supervisory levels.

The union had intended to march on October 28, but it was postponed because the minister had been unavailable.

Thulani Skosana of Nehawu said previously that the union is prepared to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike should it not be satisfied with the response to its memorandum.

Justice Department spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said in a his statement that courts were not disrupted on Friday and will continue as usual going forward.

Officials at the High Courts in Pretoria and Johannesburg said Friday's march had no impact on court proceedings and it was business as usual.

But the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court, the country's busiest, suffered a multitude of postponed cases as many court interpreters and clerks were absent.

Nehawu's Skosana could not be reached for comment on the department's response.

- TMG Courts and Law