Courts face strike threat

THE Namibian Public Workers’ Union has threatened Government with “unprecedented action” in the wake of the Public Service Management refusing to adjust the salary grades of court interpreters.

Full-time court interpreters have demanded that they be put on par with legal clerks in the Ministry of Justice because they spend over 90 per cent of their time doing clerical work rather than in interpreting in courts. The Ministry uses mainly part-time interpreters in courtrooms, while the permanently employed interpreters, especially at the High Court, concentrate on paperwork.FULL-TIME VS PART-TIME After the refusal to regrade the full-time interpreters, Napwu informed the Ministry of Justice on Friday that they would stop doing clerical work.”They should entirely perform interpreting duties as per their job category and job description,” Napwu said in a letter to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Lidwina Shapwa.A return to courtrooms by full-time interpreters would force the Ministry of Justice to lay off the part-time workers.Napwu claims the Ministry of Justice has employed many part-time interpreters on a casual basis for years – contrary to the Labour Act, which states that no employer may use a person more than two consecutive days in a week for three weeks without appointing such a person permanently.A senior official at the Ministry of Justice said their hands were tied.He said Shapwa contacted the Department of Public Service Management in the Office of the Prime Minister to suggest the regrading of the court interpreters to the level of legal clerks but was informed that the two job categories were distinct as per their entry requirements and functions.The acting Under Secretary of Public Service Management, Steven Isaack, wrote back to Shapwa last month, informing her that the additional clerical duties carried out by full-time interpreters were not sufficient to warrant the proposed change.”The claim of additional duties and tasks given are not sufficient grounds for regrading.Our contention is that there must be a 60 per cent significant change of the job to warrant the regrading of the job,” Isaack wrote.He said the Public Service Management was finalising a new job evaluation and grading system, which included a review of all categories.”Any anomalies, mismatches and disparities will thus be addressed through the latter process to ensure equity and consistency within and across the public service,” he said.Napwu insiders countered by stating that full-time interpreters at the High Court hardly spend any time in the courtrooms.”Their work is done by casual workers while they do clerical work on a daily basis,” said one source.The dispute about the grading of full-time court interpreters dates back to 1996.”Napwu is now fed up with the whole thing.We have given the Government 72 hours on Friday to meet and comply with our demands,” said one source.”Failure thereto, shall result in an unprecedented remedying action,” Napwu wrote in the letter to Shapwa.Sources said the action could include a national strike by court interpreters.Namibia’s courts already face a backlog of cases due to a shortage of magistrates and prosecutors and a national strike will be a hard blow.The Ministry uses mainly part-time interpreters in courtrooms, while the permanently employed interpreters, especially at the High Court, concentrate on paperwork.FULL-TIME VS PART-TIME After the refusal to regrade the full-time interpreters, Napwu informed the Ministry of Justice on Friday that they would stop doing clerical work.”They should entirely perform interpreting duties as per their job category and job description,” Napwu said in a letter to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Lidwina Shapwa.A return to courtrooms by full-time interpreters would force the Ministry of Justice to lay off the part-time workers.Napwu claims the Ministry of Justice has employed many part-time interpreters on a casual basis for years – contrary to the Labour Act, which states that no employer may use a person more than two consecutive days in a week for three weeks without appointing such a person permanently.A senior official at the Ministry of Justice said their hands were tied.He said Shapwa contacted the Department of Public Service Management in the Office of the Prime Minister to suggest the regrading of the court interpreters to the level of legal clerks but was informed that the two job categories were distinct as per their entry requirements and functions.The acting Under Secretary of Public Service Management, Steven Isaack, wrote back to Shapwa last month, informing her that the additional clerical duties carried out by full-time interpreters were not sufficient to warrant the proposed change.”The claim of additional duties and tasks given are not sufficient grounds for regrading.Our contention is that there must be a 60 per cent significant change of the job to warrant the regrading of the job,” Isaack wrote.He said the Public Service Management was finalising a new job evaluation and grading system, which included a review of all categories.”Any anomalies, mismatches and disparities will thus be addressed through the latter process to ensure equity and consistency within and across the public service,” he said.Napwu insiders countered by stating that full-time interpreters at the High Court hardly spend any time in the courtrooms.”Their work is done by casual workers while they do clerical work on a daily basis,” said one source.The dispute about the grading of full-time court interpreters dates back to 1996.”Napwu is now fed up with the whole thing.We have given the Government 72 hours on Friday to meet and comply with our demands,” said one source.”Failure thereto, shall result in an unprecedented remedying action,” Napwu wrote in the letter to Shapwa.Sources said the action could include a national strike by court interpreters.Namibia’s courts already face a backlog of cases due to a shortage of magistrates and prosecutors and a national strike will be a hard blow.