Ministry of justice and magistrates lock horns over pay

Madagascar's ministry of justice has dug in its heels and refused to yield to demands of striking magistrates for better pay and working conditions. According to a government source in the capital, Antananarivo, tensions were heightening as Justice Minister, Lala Ratsiharovala, threatened to suspend the salaries of magistrates who joined the stay-away, which kicked off on Monday. "Neither side wants to give in and it has now become a standoff. At first there was some dialogue, but that seems to have ended," the government official told IRIN on Tuesday. The Magistrates Union (MU) has demanded a 100 percent increase, arguing that current salaries were insufficient to cope with the rise in the cost of living. The government has responded by saying its coffers cannot afford the hefty increase. Justice ministry spokesman Rena Ravonniandro said: "There is concern because of the backlog of cases - while some judges have returned to work, most have not. But the ministry is quite serious about suspending the salaries of those who participate in the strike." In May 2004 the MU embarked on strike action, calling for the immediate implementation of an agreement reached earlier in the year with the government, which would have seen magistrates earn more. They returned to work pending ongoing negotiations. The salaries of magistrates were raised in 1999 to improve their performance, but reports of corruption in the judiciary have persisted. "If the strike continues indefinitely we will be forced to release those who have been detained for 24 hours - this means that the work of the police will be undermined. There needs to be some kind of resolution to this issue," said Paul Andre, secretary of the defence ministry. In a bid to stem corruption, President Marc Ravalomanana raised the salaries of civil servants soon after he took power in 2001, but the MU have pointed out that magistrates were excluded from the increase.