Govt to Gazette New Minimum Wage on May 1 – Workers Push for K180,000
The Malawi Government is set to gazette a new minimum wage tomorrow, May 1, with workers pushing for a bold 100 percent increase—from K90,000 to a proposed K180,000.
Minister of Labour Peter Dimba confirmed that the minimum wage review process has been completed, with the government targeting International Labour Day for gazetting the new rates. However, he declined to reveal the final figures, stating it would be unethical before official publication.
“We are done and May 1 is our target, but you know it involves paperwork,” Dimba said in a written response yesterday. “It would be unethical of me to leak the figures before the gazetting.”
During a Tripartite Labour Advisory Council (TLAC) meeting held last week in Lilongwe, the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) proposed a 100 percent increase in the minimum wage, pushing for it to rise to K180,000. On the other side, the Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (Ecam) tabled a 40 percent increase, suggesting K126,000.
“There’s no agreement yet,” MCTU president Charles Kumchenga said. “Our proposal is clear—K180,000. That’s what workers deserve. Ecam proposed less, and we couldn’t agree.”
Kumchenga also argued that the TLAC meeting was merely consultative, and that the government is now responsible for making the final call.
Ecam executive director George Khaki defended the lower figure, citing economic hardships: “Inflation is around 30 percent. We added 10 percent to cushion workers, but the industry is struggling—with forex shortages, low production, and weak demand.”
Legally, the Labour Minister is empowered to revise the minimum wage without a binding agreement from the TLAC, provided the process follows due consultation.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Social Concern (CfSC) reports that the cost of living for a family of six stood at K503,876 in February—well beyond both the current and proposed minimum wages—highlighting the growing pressure on workers.
Whether the final figure aligns with the proposed K180,000 or lands somewhere in between, all eyes are on the government as it prepares to gazette the new wage tomorrow.
For Malawi’s workers, May 1 could mark more than just Labour Day—it could be the start of a long-awaited financial shift.
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