Around 20 legal interpreters staged a protest outside the courthouse in the East Flemish city of Ghent on Friday morning. They are unhappy about late payment of their fees by the Federal Justice Department. Some say that they haven’t been paid for several months and are having to borrow money from relatives in order to make ends meet.
Interpreters protest outside Ghent courthouse “We haven't been paid since the summer”
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Jean Merchier works as a legal interpreter to and from Dutch into French, Spanish and Portuguese. Mr Merchier has been doing the job for 15 years. He told VRT News that “I have only received 36 euro since August. We have hardly seen any money for the past 4 months”. In East Flanders there are around 100 people working as translators and interpreters for the courts. They say that it has become something of an annual tradition that there is no monery left to pay them as the end of the years draws closer.
However, this year the interpreters say that new staff at the office that arranges the payment of their fees has led to an overzealous approach and many of the bills they send being rejected.
The interpreters are tired of having to wait so long for their cash. “Sometimes called up very urgently and our work is greatly appreciated by the judges, but appreciation doesn't put bread on the table. It a real drama for us. We have loans to pay off, we have to pay taxes, travel expenses. There are people are having to ask relatives for money just to make ends meet.