News Desk
MALÉ, Maldives — Dozens of High Court employees staged a protest at the Department of Judicial Administration, demanding clarity over recent changes to the national pay framework that they fear will erode allowances and benefits.
Wearing black to signal dissent, staff from the High Court, Drug Court, Civil Court, Family Court and Juvenile Court reported to work on Monday, joined by colleagues from several island magistrate courts who also attended work in black dress.
The demonstration followed a petition submitted to the President’s Office on Tuesday, signed by judicial employees across Malé and the outer islands. The petition alleged that the new framework reduces pay for emergency leave, strips allowances for security staff working six days a week, and fails to provide equal increments across posts. Employees also complained that, unlike other government agencies, the judiciary has not offered opportunities for staff to migrate into higher ranks based on educational certificates — a practice that had been available in the past.
The grievances reflect broader unease with President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s harmonised pay framework, announced in September and implemented on November 1. The plan is intended to standardize salaries across the civil service, judiciary and local government, eliminating disparities and aligning pay with job classifications. According to the National Pay Commission, the changes will improve salaries for more than 20,000 state employees.
But the Maldives’ system of overlapping commissions and training institutions has long been criticized for duplication and inefficiency. Unlike other countries that rely on a single public service commission, each sector in the Maldives maintains its own service body and educational programs, often with standards that do not match the broader state system. Analysts say the country needs a more unified approach to training and professional development to build a high‑calibre workforce capable of sustaining the state machinery.
Officials have insisted that no judicial employee will see a reduction in salary. A senior NPC official told local media that the framework includes new benefits, such as a “Judicial Continuity Allowance,” designed to offset concerns. He acknowledged that calculations without allowances may appear lower but said the full impact would be visible in December pay slips, when adjustments are consolidated.
Still, mistrust remains high among judicial staff, who argue that allowances are critical to their take‑home pay. The protests underscore the tension between the government’s pledge to rationalize state spending and the judiciary’s fears of losing financial security. With petitions now before the President’s Office, the administration faces mounting pressure to clarify how the reforms will affect one of the country’s most sensitive institutions.
Since the state pay framework came into force in 2022, the Finance Ministry has said, the largest number of public servants will receive salary increases beginning this month. The government has also pledged that the basic salary will not fall below MVR 7,400 for any employee. Yet reports have surfaced of workers being paid less than the guaranteed minimum, raising further questions about implementation.
