Members of the UJOA executive during the meeting with JSC
Kampala. Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on August 14, 2017 convened a meeting between judicial officers and the Public Service Commission at Kabira Country Club.
The meeting which was attended by the Uganda Judicial Officers Association (UJOA) executive and selected judicial officers discussed a way forward on the impeding strike by judicial officers on August 23, 2017 over salary enhancements and other welfare issues.
UJOA, an umbrella body for judicial officers,on July 22, 2017 resolved to lay down their tools if their demands are not met.
"If the Government does not meet our demands,industrial action shall set in with effect from August 26, 2017," he stated.
He added that judicial officers will close all the courts in the whole country because the Judiciary is not independent and it is marginalized.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) PermanentSecretary, Dr. John Geofrey Mbabazi said the government requires an extraShs 3.3 trillion annually to enhance salaries of public servants under thesalary scale category U1 to U8. Of this figure, the Judiciary would need atleast Shs 19.2 billion for enhancement of salaries.
"The proposed figures we have made to the Ministry of Finance do not include pension and gratuity of the workers. When you increase people�s salaries, the Pension Act says the pension emolument also has to be increased," he said.
Dr. Mbabazi said the PSC had recommended that there should be a salary review commission in order to deal with the ad hoc fixing of salaries of particular agencies and individuals.
Masaka Chief Magistrate, HW Samuel Munobe,who doubles as UJOA General Secretary said a judicial officer's salary ofShs1.2m a month (for a Magistrate Grade One), leaves the judicial officer in a"very difficult situation".
The Chief Registrar, HW Paul Gadenya, whore presented the Chief Justice, urged all judicial officers to be patient as talks with the President go on. "We should give the negotiations a chance", HW Gadenya said.
At the meeting, Hon. Justice Benjamin Kabiito, the chairperson of JSC promised to look into the demands made by judicial officers and revert before the date of the strike.
Posted 17th, August 2017
