Malawi govt fails to persuade doctors, nurses not to strike

December 17, 2014 Hudson Mphande -Nyasa Times 48 Comments

A meeting between Malawian doctors and nurses and government hit a snug on Tuesday when high powered state emissaries failed to convince the medical personnel not to go on with their planned strike.

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The meeting attended by the representatives of both sides including the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) and the Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) ended without reaching an agreement as both sides could not agree on the demands and the offers put on the table.

The two sides met at Ministry of Health headquarters at Capital Hill in Lilongwe.

A source revealed to Nyasa Times that government could not convince the doctors and nurses to put their impending strike on hold until the economy improves as that would be the appropriate time to come up with a new salary structure for the medical personnel.

“The representatives of the medical workers felt that government was not being honest with the suggestion. The major concern was that while government is trying to negotiate there are some state agents who are going about threatening people accusing them of causing the unrest,” said a source who was part of the meeting.

He explained that the medical staff have noted that of late there have been postings on social media where individuals are being picked as the ones instigating the strikes.

Recently, there was a post on Facebook whereby several civil servants from the judiciary were singled out as the ones instigating the strike in the judiciary with one of the post threatening that these individuals will be dealt with.

The doctors and nurses in Malawi are planning to go on a nationwide strike demanding government to increase their salaries and allowances, a situation that government is fearing  will put further strain on the country’s crumbling public healthcare facilities.

The medical personnel are complaining that their salaries have been steadily eroded by the country’s galloping inflation rate and weakening buying power of local currency, Kwacha.

Government bars health workers and those from other essential services from striking but nurses have often defied the directive.

Already, staff at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe are serving a seven-day notice to withdraw labour if government will not address their grievances.

In a letter dated November 9, 2014 addressed to the Ministry of Health, the staff said they feel cheated that government has not revised their allowances and salaries considering the very risky circumstances they work under.

Stella Warren, chairperson of the KCH social welfare committee, said that they will down tools until all issues are resolved.

“We want salary harmonisation. From Tuesday [last] week, we also demand that they [government] should replace locum with overtime, we cannot live like this,” said Warren as quoted in the local press.

Ministry of Health chief medical services director Charles Mwansambo promised after receiving the letter that government would work on the issues.

Nurses at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre and Zomba Central hospital are also pressing for higher pay and improved working conditions.

Economic analysts have warned that Malawi is likely to see more strikes by dissatisfied workers grappling with an economic gloom with donor freeze.

Meanwhile, the country’s judicial system is paralysed after courtroom staff went on a strike while primary school teachers also at one time boycotted classes to obtain salaries not paid for almost  six months.

Labour militancy appears to be on the rise.

Last week, supporting staff of the University of Malawi launched a sit in to demand a 45 percent salary hike while the country’s Anti-Corruption Bureau has its operations at a halt following similar strikes which have so far forced government to use the Police to seal off the ACB offices.

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48 replies on “Malawi govt fails to persuade doctors, nurses not to strike”

  4. Which harmonisation my dear sister? If you think govern can not pay you, just quit and join us in the private sector. Ife tikunjoya kuno, inu phanani mu govern. Hw long will you fight for pay hikes. Do you want govt to harmonize your salaries with that of a doctor in US? Shame Malawian nurses. Why everytime nurses. Are you the only health profession in health. Hw about Clinicians, Dentists, Pharmacists, Radiographers and Laboratory Technologists.

  5. Please don’t increase the judicial salary, akwezereni ma nurse ndi ma doctors! MA judge awutsiru amenewa, pay hike for what? Zilombo zawanthu zo panda ntchito! Inu a president, kwezani malipilo a ma nurse mwamva, ofunika zedi ma nurse or inunso bwana one day you will need their services, unlike the foolish, greedy, good for nothing judges! Cashgate beneficiaries opepela inu.

  6. Gomnt Must Concider These Life Serving Staff. But These Doctors And Nurses Should Fight For Every Staff Who Found In The Health Facility Because The Are All Equaly Exposed To The Same Environment Of Desease And Death. If So Who Is Going To Fight For Achikolopa, Patient Attendants, Clerks In These Setups? Should They Form Their Own Councial?

  9. Brethren lets not show our foolishness and idiotismness on matters of national importantance,nurse dont demand increament but harmonisation.After,if medicians who will suffer the most?ministers,mps,president?my foot!

  11. Let them strike. Am just afraid because Fwe Fwe Fweee heart attack is around the corner like his brother. No one will resuscitate him even his boyfriend the thief…..

  14. To be a wealthy country you need to be a healthy country. Pay the nurses a decent wage so that they can keep our workers and their families strong.

  15. Bingu adapita naye ku chipatala osati kwa judge. Musankhepo wofunika kwambiri pamenepa. Judge angalowe ku mortuary kukapanga embalm mtembo? Don’t give the judiciary. Give the medical staff. The hospitals are full of people including the judiciary. The judges are lazy and corrupt. How can they sentence Theresa Senzani to 3 years and Sithole to 9 years?

  16. PLEASE SORT OUT THE ISSUES IN A NORMAL WAY AND SEE THAT BOTH SIDES ARE BEING ATTENDED WITH THEIR ISSUES ,GOVT AVOID CHEATING, CEMENT THE PROMISESS AND YOU WILL SEE THAT THINGS ARE MOVING IN A CORRECT MEASURES.
    IT IS BAD TIME WHEN MALAWI IS GOING DOWN AND LOOK X-MAS AND NEW YEAR IS JUST AROUND THE ANGLE, SERVICES OF SOME OFFICES WILL BE HIGHLY NEEDED.

  19. BUTO LA KUBERA MAVOTI NDI LIMENELO MBAVA IMABA CHITHU CHOSACHIDZIWA KAGWIRITSDWE NTCHITO KAKE POTI NTHAWI YOBAYO INALI USIKU NDIYE SAMADZIWA KUTI KATUNDUYU NDIWOBVUTA OSADZIWA NKATI MULI BOMBA LERO LAPHULIKA LIKUSOWA KUZIMITSA KWACHE KWATSALA NKUMANGOTI FWE FWE FWE BASI NDIYE FWE FWE FWE AMENEYU A MALAWI APINDULA NAYE CHIYANI? BAS AMENE ANAKUSANKHANI KUTI MUZIDYA NAYE MUTHANDIZENI KUZIMITSA BOMBA LIMENELI OSAMANGOYANGÁNIRA AYI TIYENI NAZONI FWE FWE FWE FWE FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

  20. GOVT SHOULD BLAME ITSELF FOR THESE STRIKES. HOW DO YOU EXPECT REACTION FROM CIVIL SERVANTS AT THE NEWS THAT THE PRESEDENT, HIS VICE, LEADER OF OPPOSITION HAVE RECEIVED INCREMENTS IN EXCESS OF 180% (almost doubling their salaries) WHEN THE CIVIL SERVANTS ARE GIVEN A MERE 25%. IF FACT YOU PEOPLE AT THE TOP YOU ENJOY NUMEROUS BENEFITS INCLUDING FREE TAXES, FREE UTILITIES BILLS KOMA MUKUDZIPATSA ZIMAKHOBILI ZANKHANI NKHANI!!!!!!! EXPECT MORE STRIKES IF SALARY AND OTHER ALLOWANCES ARE NOT ADJUSTED FAIRLY ACCROSS THE BOARD. WE ALL HUMAN BEINGS, WE GO TO THE SAME SHOPS, MARKETS, ETC BUT YOU MAKE THE POOR TO BECOME POORER COME ANY GOVT. WE VOTED YOU INTO GOVT BECAUSE OF THE PROMISES YOU MADE IN DURING CAMPAIGN. PALIBE CHOMWE CHASINTHA M’MALO MWAKE UMPHAWI UKUPITA PATSOGOLO DAY IN DAY OUT!!!!! OH MY MOTHER MALAWI!!!!!!! ZACHISONI ANYAMATA NDI ATSIKANA ATHU AKUKHAMUKIRA KU RSA IN THEIR THOUSANDS EVERY DAY, KAYA MUKUONA?? PITIRIZANI TULOTO KUMPANDO!!

  22. This country needs a revolutionary leader not a leader who goes on public against critics fwe fwe fwe

  25. Let the government look into our concerns,we are suffering due to high cost of living.I think the government should raise salaries and improve working conditions for all depertments to prevent the on going of strikes in Malawi.Today is Healthworkers tomorrow will be Malawi police the other day will be the MDF because they are also going through the same problems. The goverment should look this problem widely and seriousily.

  27. 92billion imene inabedwa, siingapite osailongosola, donors are not stupid, just explain what happened, we know for sure, the one who revealed this cashgate was Joyce’s administration, kupanda Joyce, bwenzi kuli zotani, mesa kuba kumangopilira, Please, Explain za your 92 billion! Full stop!!!

  29. Go ahead doctors and nurses. You are more important than the judiciary staff. The Chikopas need you more than you need him and his staff. Yet the Chikopas are arrogant and demanding V8 SUVs.

  30. This what we call New world Order. Its amazing to see it happening right in our country. The kingdom of God is at hand repent.

  31. Anthu inu mukuganiza kuti ndalama zache zichoka kuti mukupanga ngati mwachokera ku zambia mukaononga mubwelera kwanu ku zambia tiyeni tiupeze mtima dzikoli ndilathu

    1. Where is the money for MP’s salary hike coming from? This fwe fwe fwe government will find the money from where it got the money for MP’s period!

  33. Just bow to their demands coz enawa akupanga strike koma a Chipatala ndiMiyoyo ya anthu, kwaiwe umakhala chete nthawi zonse udzazisiya pakuti nthawi ina nawenso Udzadwala, U thought kuyendetsa dziko ndizibwana? Bolanso ndiye ma Stenitu.!!!!,;!?.

  34. the country may soon plung into chaos.if i were the president i would just dissolve cabinet and declare a state of emergency.finish!

  35. amalawi mukufuna mukomolenso sizwa yina ndi makadiaki arrest? zikoli lukupita kutu? kapitolo hill muvi woyang’anila umalowa mmaso. pezani mayankho msanga chifukwa tsiku likubwera muzapezeka akuthamangisani nonse muma ofesi osalowa. Vuto ndilotinso mwazikundikila nokha kwambili inu akuluakulu. Tsoka ilo tsoka ilo ndimvereni mawu awa omaliza tsoka ilo tsoka ilo

  36. When the president is indecisive his enemies takes advantage of such a weakness. The president has all by himself to blame because of his cluelessness.

  38. Who is justified to request for a pay rise between a nurse and a court clerk? If government gives in to demands by judicial support staff most of whom are very corrupt because they connive with lawyers to deliberately hide case files then medical staff have every reason to demand even higher salaries.

  39. Sad indeed please liste to their grievances life has become unbearable especially when you see a local parliamentarian with an MSCE getting fat allowance whilst someone who toiled for seven years getting peanuts it’s very pathetic and discouraging

  42. Satana wakupolomilani a Malawi. The Bible say we will surely be rewarded for everything we do, good or bad. Kudamkomela iye Yehova kumuchitsa Bingu kuti zinthu zilongosoke inu mwati mubweretse mphwake. Si izi??????

  44. JUST IMAGINE DOCTORS /NURSES (HEALTH WORKERS) AND YET YOU INCREASE YOUR WAGES BY 80 % PLUS FAT ALLOWANCES INCLUDING YOUR MINISTERS/ ADVISORS AND MPS ??? WHAT JOB ARE YOU DOING TO THE NATION AS COMPARED TO WHAT THESE HEALTH PERSONEL ARE DOING NATION WIDE ??

    GIVE THEM WHAT THEY DESERVE PLEASE !!!

  45. many people will die from this strike- this is the wrong way to depopulate a lazy country hooked on free things and begging and allowances and just pure dullness

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