Court Clerks Go Back on Strike in Haiti

On Tuesday, Haitian court clerks begin an indefinite strike to demand the implementation of agreements signed with the Government in 2017 yet to enter into force.

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As confirmed by the National Association of Haitian Court Clerks, the strike will affect the 18 jurisdictions of the country.

According to official reports, this union has been demanding for years respect for the rights of all employees and demands an end to what it calls "discrimination in salaries," since there are different salaries for those performing the same function.

They also advocate for increases in fees and the approval of the notary public's statute with which they could enjoy other facilities.

According to official data, in June, after almost four months of strike, the sector agreed a truce with the authorities to return to work, although they warned that the protest could resume without prior notice if the promises to the guild were not respected.

On that occasion, they offered a deadline until last August for the fulfillment of their demands.

The strike of court clerks is taking place at a time when prosecutors are also on strike to demand social benefits similar to those enjoyed by judges.

Furthermore, the movement promoted by the Collective of Permanent Magistrates of Haiti also denounces that judges receive debit cards equivalent to one third of their salary, service allowances with a value similar to half of their monthly fees, fuel vouchers of 16 thousand gourdes (about US$120), prepaid telephones and other subsidies.

For several years, the union has been organizing long work stoppages to demand decent working conditions.

Meanwhile, eight out of 10 inmates suffer prolonged pretrial detention and 99 percent of the minors detained have not been convicted and most of them have been imprisoned for years for stealing a chicken, a pair of shoes or a telephone, without ever having seen a judge.