The Mozambican Association of Judges (AMJ) has announced a strike in response to the lack of dialogue with the government, according to the newspaper O País. The decision was motivated by the stagnation in negotiations on salary conditions and judicial security, issues that the AMJ has been trying to resolve since the drafting of the Single Salary Table (TSU) in 2022.
According to the information, Esmeraldo Armindo Matavele, president of the AMJ, expressed his frustration at the government’s inaction in the face of the association’s complaints, recalling that since the implementation of the TSU, judges have expressed significant concerns about the negative impact on their pay conditions, considering it a step backwards for the judicial class.
“The AMJ made every effort to prevent the approval of the TSU in its current terms, but the salary scale went ahead without the necessary changes, which represents a serious threat and weakening of the country’s judiciary,” he said.
In addition to salary issues, the AMJ emphasised the urgent need for financial independence for the judiciary, stressing that it has already tried to arrange meetings with the government to discuss these concerns.
Esmeraldo Armindo Matavele also said that the safety of judges is a central concern, and that it is the government’s responsibility to guarantee the safety of magistrates, as they are unable to provide for their own protection.
In this regard, Matavele said that, in protest, the judges will suspend the processing of all normal cases, concentrating only on urgent cases as provided for by law, recalling that the strike will begin on 9 August and may be extended for 30 days.
“This strike will be a performance strike, which means that judges will not be absent from work or close the courts, but there will be a drastic reduction in our workload,” he explained.
The AMJ reiterated its commitment to its judicial responsibilities, guaranteeing that only essential cases will be judged during this period of protest.