JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG – Employees of Legal Aid South Africa are set to embark on a two-day protected strike on June 17 and 18, driven by severe chronic understaffing and unresolved salary disputes. The industrial action, organized by the South African Lawyers and Allied Workers Union (SALAWU), threatens to halt legal services for indigent citizens across the country.
Union spokesperson Michael Motaung confirmed that the work stoppage will commence on Wednesday with picketing at the national Legal Aid offices. In Cape Town, workers will also hand over a memorandum to Parliament, with the action starting at 9:00 AM and the memorandum delivery scheduled between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM. On Thursday, the delegation plans to present their demands to the Department of Justice. Because the Minister is reportedly unavailable, the memorandum will be received by the Deputy Minister.
At the heart of the dispute are severe budget cuts that have led to frozen vacancies, particularly for candidate legal practitioners who require two years of articles to complete their legal training. Motaung explained that the inability to absorb these young professionals has placed an immense burden on existing staff. Employees are now forced to cover multiple courts, handling over five matters and numerous bail applications daily.
This extreme workload has made it strenuous for staff to deliver quality representation to indigent clients facing both criminal and civil matters, including family and property disputes. During the 48-hour strike, Legal Aid offices will be completely closed, and no services will be provided. Consequently, ongoing court proceedings, trials, and bail applications will face postponements. Motaung emphasized that the withdrawal of services is not for selfish gains, but a necessary step to protect the quality of professional legal standards.
The union asserts that these grievances are not new, having first raised similar concerns in memorandums dated May 15, and August 19 and 20 of 2019. Despite writing to the Legal Aid board, the Minister of Justice, and the chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee, Motaung stated that their correspondence has been consistently ignored or left unacknowledged.
The union has now given authorities a 14-day ultimatum to satisfactorily address their demands. Should the response be inadequate, Motaung warned that the union will consult its members regarding the possibility of downing tools indefinitely.
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