Judges halt strike temporarily as government announces salary increments

Judges under their umbrella body, Uganda Judicial Officers Association have voted to halt their impending sit down strike until February 12th so as to look into the new salary structure by government.

The minister for public service Muruli Mukasa had earlier  told journalists  that a special cabinet  meeting that sat on December 9th chaired by president Museveni had agreed to have a salary increment to a number of public servants including the judicial officers.

"The meeting agreed to have the defence, judiciary, health, education, police and intelligence officers have their salaries increased in the first phase,"Muruli Mukasa said during a press conference at media centre.

However, during their extra ordinary meeting on Monday afternoon, judicial officers said they had got wind of a salary increment from government but said they would have to first scan through it before deciding the fate of their industrial action.

"Talks have been going on between  UJOA,Judicial Service Commission and  government and the latest is that the  committee has handed over its report  to government.We are waiting to have the new structure scrutinised over  the same,"the principle judge Yorokam Bamwine told journalists at High Court in Kampala.

"We are suspending it  until 12th February  to see if government has taken care of our interests in the new structure. "

Godfrey Kaweesa, the president Uganda Judicial Officers Association said they have postponed the impending strike so as to allow government present to them a document detailing the increments.

"We also want to see if other benefits that we demanded for have been included in the new structure, "Kaweesa said.

"We think government is positive and will put into consideration our demands."

The judicial officers' president said among the other benefits they demand from government are vehicles for grade one magistrates, security and health insurance for all the judicial officers.

According to the current pay structure, the chief justice earns Shs 20m, his deputy Shs 18m and the principal judge Shs 10m while a Supreme court judge earns Shs 9.6m and a judge of the Court of Appeal/Constitutional court gets Shs 9.3m.

High court judges earn Shs 9 million each whereas Grade II magistrates earn Shs 737, 837 per month.