- SALAWU has notified Legal Aid SA that the strike will resume on Monday, 19 October 2026, after suspending an earlier strike in June.
- Legal Aid SA says budget constraints have made it difficult to offer some employee-related initiatives staff have asked for.
- The organisation has put contingency measures in place to make sure people can still get legal assistance and representation during the strike.
Legal Aid South Africa says it will use its contingency measures to keep legal services running when employees represented by the South African Lawyers and Allied Workers Union (SALAWU) resume industrial action next week.
In a statement, the organisation says it formally received a 48-hour notice from the union on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, stating that the strike would restart on Monday, 19 October 2026, and continue until further notice.
SALAWU says this new action comes after its previous strike in June 2026 was suspended. The union maintains that employees’ demands still have not been met. The union has asked that Legal Aid SA’s Board and executive management accept a memorandum of demands between 11am and 1pm on 19 October.
Dispute includes pay, staffing and working conditions
Legal Aid SA says it has formally responded to the issues raised in the union’s previous memorandum of demands. These included the retirement policy, structured consultation with organised labour, performance incentives, salary benchmarking, and implementing the Occupation Specific Dispensation.
Other matters raised by the union included staffing capacity, workload management, disciplinary processes, and governance. The organisation has also committed to strengthening its engagement with SALAWU through quarterly meetings, which will now be a regular part of its corporate calendar.
“Legal Aid SA recognises employees’ concerns and remains committed to meaningful engagement with the union,” the statement further read. It says it must balance employee priorities with its financial sustainability and its legal responsibility to provide services to vulnerable and indigent people.
Budget pressures constrain employee initiatives
The organisation says it is still facing significant budget pressures over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period, with employee compensation making up a large part of the required spending cuts. These pressures have limited its ability to put in place some employee-related initiatives and support measures.
Legal Aid SA says it is talking to its Executive Authority and National Treasury about the funding needed to address the outstanding priorities. The organisation also says it recognises employees’ constitutional rights to participate in lawful and protected industrial action.
It says the contingency measures are intended to keep service disruptions to a minimum and ensure people can still access legal assistance and representation as far as possible within its means.
Legal Aid SA says it remains committed to constructive labour relations while protecting its ability to provide access to justice.
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