Education expert hails Malawi govt, TUM for consenting to end teachers strike
Education rights activist Limbani Nsapato has commended both government and Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) for signing a consent order that teachers should resume work from today and settle the dispute out of court, to pave way for negotiations.
The public-school teachers resumed their nation-wide strike last week after the government did not honor a promise to pay bonuses for their risk of contracting the coronavirus while on the job.
TUM and Ministry of Education earlier agreed that government should stop providing teachers with personal protective equipment (PP) and instead give teachers money to buy PPE to protect themselves working in packed classrooms during the pandemic .
Government opened the case against TUM at the Industrial Relations Court Lilongwe over their continued strike.
But the consent order which the two partie signed calls for negotiations first before court battles.
“We agreed that teachers should resume work and case be postponed to allow dialogue,” said TUM’s lawyer Madalitso Kausi.
President of TUM, Willy Malimba, called on teachers to return to work, saying he was hopeful next round of negotiation will yield positive outcome
Commenting on the development, education activist Nsapato commended TUM and government for agreeing to settle the dispute out of court, to pave way for negotiations.
“ I hope that both parties will be more serious and not resort to hide and seek comedy we have seen over the past month.
“Negotiations should lead to more trust and confidence between employer and employee and not end in cat and mouse chase in court,” said Nsapato.
He added: “ Let’s remember that we need to have a conducive teaching and learning environment in our schools to ensure access to quality education for learners; and this year three sets of exams are to be written -PSLCE, JCE, and MSCE, and we cant afford to entertain more strikes because government and TUM are failing to negotiate and come to a win-win agreement. When two elephants fight, it’s grass that suffers.”
Malawi government spokesperson Gospel Kazako said the Tonse-Alliance administration is keen to sort teachers welfare in a whole – salaries, condition of service and their housing allowance.
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When I did my primary and secondary school in the sixties and seventies (and tertiary in the eighties) the son of a cabinet minister could have the son of a cook or a farmer as a deskmate. All this changed in the mid-nineties: Now even the lower middle class send their children to private schools. What TUM is doing is extremely senseless: They are putting their own children and other children of parents with limited means at an even greater disadvantage – for limited gain. While all this circus is going on, the children of more well to do parents… Read more »
Not only that! the son and daughter of a well to do parent is enjoying at the expense of the poor parents’ money. as much of it somewhere somehow is stolen money..
bwana Malimba mwaiona imeneeyooooo?
Umphawi ndi matendadi. But ignorance is the worst desease for our teachers. We are reliably told that the Court has rebulfed TUM. Industrial strike is allowed when the employer breaks the conditions of service and covid-19 allowance (it can be covid-2021 allowance if teachers want) is no where near such employment conditions. TUM, who are your learned lawyers? They were supposed to advise you timeously. Zoana mpaka ana a school achite kudziwa kuti aphunzitsi awo akulirira christmas yamwana? Zachisoni. You must negotiate long-term conditions of your esteemed service profession and not manna. What if covid ends? Have foresighted leadership at… Read more »
Where are getting the news boss?? Its different from what nsapato is saying??
No need to negotiate with a dpp faction TUM. The demands are ridiculous and outrageous. Risk allowance for Covid-19? What about the vaccines that are available? Why don’t you demand that the vaccine be readily available to the teachers Mr. Kadeti Malimba. BJ and others are pulling strings behind Malimba. You fail.
Thank you TUM for your mature decision by rescuing our children, otherwise this devil Chakwela can not listen to your concerns because he is possessed now. He is now serving the devil and the love money. God will bless you teachers. Chakwela will not enjoy his evil love of money. God will fight a good fight for you teachers. You are doing a great job for our nation. Nyau ndi nyau olo iphunzile.
You must be stupid and very stupid for that matter! try to be sober in your mind, i just dont want to believe that you are still having pains because Chakwera is the president of the Republic of Malawi. Iweyo ndi DPP yakopyo simudzalamulanso dziko lino. mwana wa hule iwe, finye, khakha, chule galu. Chimutu cha zimamina basi!! kuzowela kuba basi, this time you are not going to take this allowances from us, munya ndi umphawi. mukodza magazi mpaka 2084 woooooo!!!!!!
Zikomu mwana wa nyau. Nyau ndi nyau olo ikhale president.
You think like headless Chicken you encouraged your CADET Malimba to stage a strike since he is your home boy , now TUM Lawyers have advised this DPP TUM that there is no way they can win this matter in court and the decision made by government not to collect k500 from teachers as there membership fee as brought some senses to this DPP TUM grouping, and also they have to pay back 9month salaries they received from last year April since they were not working , another CADET IS thus so called SAPATO