Malawi nurses, doctors to go on strike over pay hike

December 15, 2014 Wanga Gwede- Nyasa Times 122 Comments

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

Nurses concerns
Nurses concerns

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 – when necessary.

Already, staff at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe are serving a seven-day notice to withdraw labour if the employers will not  address their grievances which include revising allowances and salaries.

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 given the “very risky” circumstances they work under.

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

“We  want salary harmonisation. From Tuesday [this]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 said 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, from courtroom staff on strike for the past five months to primary school teachers boycotting classes to obtain salaries not paid for the past 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.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau is also seeing a job action over wages while the Bureau chief says the office has been underfunded for investigations into the Cashgate scandal that brought down former president Joyce Banda.

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122 replies on “Malawi nurses, doctors to go on strike over pay hike”

  1. And SWAP is not supposed to be taxed but this government does it. Very high taxes. This Badwell Gondwe !

  2. this gvmt thinks malawians are too unwise to feel the cheat. why raise payment for officials of gvmt, pple already stealing from pples taxes while denying civil service enough payment. its tym to let go this gvnmt.

  3. These seat-ins are cooked by Tumbukas. Watch out APM with these selfish tribe. That is the reason Kamuzu sent all tumbuka teachers to their home in 1989. Samalani a APM.

  5. Thyolo Hospital Clinicians and Nurses plus Support Staff will start their strike next week Monday the 22 December 2014. Issue being locum which has been severely reduced.

    From reliable sources.

    National wide strike spear-headed by Atumbuka.
    APM take care ndi Atumbuka.

  7. APM (Apa Palibe Mlamuli) zavuta zedi. A Mbendera and a Nyirenda chonde muthandizeni President wanu munasankha nokhayu. Kuba sikwabwino. Kodi abale a Dausi Nick alipo? Bwanji ziiyu. Ndadabwa sanakaotcheso kwinatu. Moto wina ukufunika apa. A Dausi katentheni ku Makhoti, ACB, Zipatala ndi kwina konse kumene ku khale sitalaka. Pajatu ndi m’nene tichitila eti kufuna kuthetsa kunyoza. A Dausi akudya cashagate eti? (92 billion kwacha at work). Ndangodutsamo sindinathyolemo m’nkwani ine ndapita.

  10. Civil servants have just had an increment and i hope you medical personnel are also Civil servants, which increment do you want again? Why are you being selfish? Other Civil servant, i.e teachers who hardly get allowances, are satisfied, you who are flooded with allowances and other incentives are making noise. Tamayamikani! Grade K wa ku Health receives close to what Grade I of other departments receives. Mmadzimva juice chifukwa chani

  11. ATUMBUKA EVERY WHERE BASI GO ku QECH you will find head of departments atumbuka okha okha ..go ku Liverpool wellcome trust heads of department atumbuka okha okha nde mufuna dziko lanu North Nyasa federation ?,,,eeeh muzipita kwanu mwatikwana zedi…..ku mainterview kumene panel yonse atumbuka okha okha saaah a nkhandule inu muzipita kwanu,,koma mwayambazi zoima panokha kumpotoku mukwanitsa?

  12. panopa sizamaseweranso ayi strike basi, AND Jean Kaliran should resign palibe chomwe akutithandiza ife ogwira ntchito mchipatala Mayi wa DOOO ngati ameneyu sindinamuone,ndikutitu wina anya manyi pa 5th Jan 2015,…

  13. Nurses and Doctors, please when lawyers and Judges come to your hospitals, don’t treat them. Since they think they are the only intelligent and educated citizens, let them treat their own ailments as well including surgical procedures

  18. I think it is high time their demands are considered. As for teachers and police uuuuuuuh ayi. These teachers necessitated the riging and our police failed to bring culprits to book when people reported to them.

  21. Robert/Nick: Many thankscomments. I may have an interest to listen regarding any advantages towards your SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION campaigns the moment this can be applied.

  22. Try to give us net pay ya 600,000 kwacha you will see how dedicated we are and nomore strikkes . Team salary harmonisation

  23. HOW MUCH IS A MERE MP GETTING INCLUDING ALLOWANCES ??? WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR AN MP ?? WHAT ARE THE MPS DOING AS COMPARED TO THESE HEALTH WORKERS ???

    THESE PEOPLE REALLY DESERVE WHAT THEY ARE ASKING FOR !!!

    1. U make MPs buy coffins for your relations,you make them contribute to your paper Sundays, they pay your school fees, when they dare drive around the constituency you beg them money. My question is where do you want them to get the money from?

  26. Afterall we have a sing’anga lololo you can strike we will do without you. And possibly our medicine stocks will not cross the borders as you are on strike. Thieves, hoodlums, turncoats, trained murders. Iya no penny to be added to your perks. No wonder our leaders go to South Africa even when attacked with diarhea. APM say no to these goons till they promise and swear to stop pilfering and illtreating the the tax payer.

  27. Abale kodi ndalama za boma zonse zizngokhala za malipiro osagula mankhwala, kukonza miseu etc/ Why strikes all over the country? Is it because of Peter’s salary increase? Let us think twice as Malawians. We need to think beyond personal benefits.

  28. A Chilima ali kuti?Mesa amkati ayigwira civil servince?Anthu asamalandire ma chenji.Lero ndizimenezi sheeeeeeeeeeeee.Bodza silabwino .Ukanama sikuchedwa kucha.Muyisova.kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

  30. Am also a health worker at one of CHAM Hospital ,even us we have given a letter of notice to CHAM secretariate to address issues of Salaries failing which on 5th January we will go on strike ,viva NONM ,Boma la Uchitsiru ngati ili sindinalione bolansotu malemu aja a Bingu..How can the govt say we will no give Increament to CHAM workers yet we signed MEMO in 2002, ..Zautsiru eti ,timaona manyitu ife abale anu akadwala ,enanu akazi anu amanyera kwambiri akamachira chonsencho risk allowance K1800 basi,,,,,musatiyankhulise pambali

  32. kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk koma nde eeeeh! wina atsegula mmimba basi, wina ayiona bangwe, amayenda kumbali. Press Peter Mutharika and DPP hard so he can feel it

  35. doctors should stick to their hippocratic oath, this strike will not harm the president or his cabinet but the poor malawians.

  36. Just work folks.The government has increased your salary.If you talk of inflation everybody is affected;its not only doctors and nurses. Do not think that your profession is incomparable.Why are doctors complaining,you do not pay rent while other employees are paying rent.Now you are saying you want salary increase.

  37. Sorry my beloved country. What step should we take then as Malawians? Even a 1hr strike by h/workers cost alot of lives so we can’t afford this,bt their demands are justfiable.

  39. The Doctors and their second wives Nurses be indeed heard of their demands.The Judges are just slavish in their lives and the Govt should NOT consider them really. Cases and Cases piling on their desks basi KUPHODA ETI AKUTI NDI A JUDGE ZA zaii!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Govt pay doctors, ACB and Teachers and I agree to it PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  42. Inu a nyasa ndinu ana njoka yaikazi yathawira kunja ija. Your tongue do not know how to speak good for your country. Bana ba njoka imwe. Shame on you.

  44. Chinthu chimodzi chikundidabwitsa pa Nyasa times comments. Bwampiniyu atangolowa kumene Panali ma comments ambiri omwe ankayesetsa ku kuikira kumbuyo Bwampini. Koma pano ma comments onse omwe akumaikidwa palibe amene akuikira Bwampini kumbuyo. Muli kuti ma Supporter a Bwampini. Ndikudabwa nanu. muli kuti Bwampini azinyozedwa chonchi inu mulipo. Ndinu zitsiru nanu ma supporter a Bwampini

  47. Iwe ndiwe health workerdi?Ndadabwa nawe!Ena akudyerera iwe uli zimaso tong’o ndiwe womvetsa chisoni.Iwe wekha usakhale pa strick wamva ife ena tikhala chifukwa ndalama ndiyochepa malingana mmene katundu akwerera.

  49. I feel pity for the Malawi civil servants salary increament,the gorvenment is saying they have inceased45% for all civil servants.Is this true?Now you must bear this in your mind Peter and Goodwell Gondwe,All civil servant will be on strick this coming January on salary increament,get ready for this.Boma rakuba raDPP who put you into power?You die with cardiac arrest as your brother did.

  50. ndalama ali nazo nanga zolipira president,vice,ministers and mps zachokera kuti? anthuwa ndi zitsiru zachabechabe.

  52. EEEE! IKAKUWONA LITSIRO SIKATA ,TSOKA LIKALIMBA AMAKULUMA NDI MWANAPIYE.AMALONJEZA KT AZAPEREKA MALIPIRO ABWINO NANGA LERO LERO ALIKUTI?

  53. THE DOCTORS AND NURSES DEMAND IS VERY VITAL OUT OF ALL STRIKES I HAVE LEARNT EXCLUDING TEACHERS.

    PLS THESE PEOPLE ARE GETTING PEANUTS AS COMPARIED TO JUDGES

  56. Am a healthworker in the Ministry of Health, who told you that we will go on strike. You Nyasa Times you must love your country. If you want people to go on strike you better say it but not to post lies. This is not good. Are there no good thing to post of Government.

    1. may be you are at Thekerani or Chisepo or Thazima where communication is poor. Ife tikuziwa zonse.

  61. Poor Malawians,will u ever get wat u want?i doubt coz all our leaders aim at accumulating wealth 4 themselves n they dont care abt our wellfare

  62. You mean to say these Nurses and Doctors are not among the civil servants who have their salaries raised recently,if the issue here is about allowances ask the Constable,for all the work 24/7 no allowance(risk or not) or this you call locum at your department is received.Better You.

  63. Increase their salaries with 126%.with living condition they work in,they deserve it.Akumachita kusowa mankhwala oti amulembere patient,just becoz there no medicines in our hospitals. My mother MALAWI.

  68. It appears the whole country will be on strike soon. Against whom? Where will the government get the funds for the pay rises? I know the solution. Donors ( a bad idea though) but they will not move an inch if we are not committed on 92 billion money stolen. Problem is the current ruling party may be party to the stolen 92 billion and may want to handle this issue with kid gloves. Stalemate. I can see a government falling down…. like Babylon.

  69. Koma abale, pepani ndithu Mulungu dalitsani Malawi. Pitala unapanga rigi mavoti umayesa kupanga ran dziko ndi easy nkhani ndi imeneyi gwirani ntchito man!

  70. Tsopano ndipumira pati apa? Mmmm guys mmm plz osamapanga choncho.. ndiyetu chabwino tamuuzeni mzimayi uja adzatenge dzikoli…mwina poti amamvana bwino ndi azunguwa.. mawa sindimva kuti body gurd wanga ndi ophika alinso pa strike apa? ndinkayesa bawo lero ndazigwira lol

  71. Mesaso pa compein muja amati ogwila ntchito m’boma amalandila ma chenji? Ndy zkuwavuta bwanj kt akwanilile zomwe adalonjedza? Amenewo amatche basi.

  72. I am from the North but i don’t get joy in the strikes which are taking and are about to take place. Our beautiful country Malawi is going to be destroyed and its not only the government which is going to suffer but all of us. People of Malawi, stop playing childish games and start focusing on how this country can be developed from North to South and stop castigating each other for God’s sake. If what we say that we are a God fearing Nation is true,then now is the time to put such claims into practice. We are consumed with hatred for no proper reason. If someone says my area is not being developed, don’t hate him/her or try to shut his mouth but rather try to find out why he/she is saying so and work to a common goal.That’s what we call patriotism.

  73. My worry is if the government is going to raise the salaries is our kwacha going to be stable or it will fall again in response? With the devaluations which were aimed at reducing the salaries what people are getting are pea nuts. I foresee international money lending institutions like the IMF, WB etc. forcing the government to devalue further our kwacha once the pay hike has been put in place. These bodies fight for their foreign NGOs not to be under financial pressure because once the government has raised the salaries of its workers they are also forced to increase theirs. As of now life is so tough because of the devaluations Malawi has had. Also remember UNIMA students please, they are our future, k40 000 is just very little. Nabola Ngoma asamayambise nowo chifukwa tidabwa nazo!!!!

  74. It’s about time these greedy politicians realised that money has to be invested in the sectors of our society which make the ball spin other than giving it out in colossal amounts to to satisfy the voluptious appetitte of the greedy and mostly under-educated politians.

    1. Major Son, maganizo achitsamunda amenewo. Do u have the statistics? Where is the evidence? Leave nurses alone.

  78. Iyi yokha I will join, no matter what, I need 80% increament, if you want this ART clinic to function and clients not exposed to viral resistance, give me my 80% pay hike, apo bii ma ARV mukalandira ku state house. Mwino wamkulu komanso wozisata wayankhula.
    This strike only I will join….whether you like it or not………………….enanu mwabowa komanso muchokepo apo ena akhalepo….ma salaries mungokwezelana nokhanokha…munya muwona….

  79. Tiyenazoni dola alinazo amenewa…..ma 80% komanso 367% akuziwonjezera okhawa ndi umboni kale..fuel mpaka MK900,000….housing allowance MK350,000…ifembo tidye nawo asaa

  81. It leaves me wondering why the President is still quiet about everything? Is he trying to work out things from the underground so as to just pop out one day and surprise Malawians with a very fat economy? It puzzles me bigtime. By now even Bingu would have said something to keeps us calm and expectant. I also wonder, What’s with DPP and power Economic Planning? Chachikulu koma ndi kukanika kwa maboma athu to evolve the Economy be implementing efficient Import substitution strategies. TIyeni tingopemphera molimba amalawi, the battle is too big, we need timely intervention from the Almighty.

  83. Success accompanie denial.I don’t know why civil sevants who needed to support government are behaving like this.If cash gate was the problem what do you think Peter should do? I BEG!! BEG!! My fellow malawians please learn to understand.

  89. Government has weak labour practices in that it pays workers that have withdrawn labour instead of a trade union being responsible to pay its members who have gone on strike

  92. Pitala Muthalika ndi zimenezo nkhani. You are very childiish to your approach on issues. You cannot only hike salaries for MPs leaving the majority of the workers poor. You have to solve the judiciary strike now. Peoplr who want justice are suffering out there.

  96. This is an indication that even civil servants are not in comfort with the DPP administration. I’m very doubtful if APM and his DPP will stand this pressure.

  98. Malawi , the striking nation. Next we will hear that the President is on strike. People who strike clearly show that they have surrendered their financial destiny in the hands of other people. How sad. Have you ever heard of Indian business men going on strike? No. It is because they have assumed personal 100% responsibility over their financial future. Dziko ndi wathu koma dalama ndi wao.

  99. Wait a minute! This will soon get out of hand. In times like this the country looks up to a LEADER who can reassure the nation. Of course some of the problems we are experiencing cannot be solved overnight; and indeed increasing workers’ wages is not a solution to the economic woes. If anything it will just worsen the situation.
    But a leader must stand up to the challenges and reassure the nation, and rally their support for his vision (if he has any).
    Where is the Leader? Is he still snoring?

    1. Not quite snoring ! He is very busy opening warehouses and. Incomplete shopping malls.
      Ben Phiri is currently running the country he will hand over to his master in due course.

  100. Koma achipatala akachita strike zinthu zikhala bwanji mdziko muno? Please bwampini be serious with this Country timatcha tibwera ku State house konko

  101. Increasing salaries will further trigger inflation which will in turn again lead to demand in salaries! Kind of a chicken and egg problem! Government SHOULD NEVER yield to any of these salary demands if it wants to keep the economy afloat! I wish these workers could have known some basic economics! Do they want Malawi to be another Zimbabwe?

  103. It’s because of the greedy MPs. Since they think they can get a 367% increase and their jobs are tough let them go treat patients.

  105. That’s the only way the nation can deal with leaders who go into power through the back door , it’s a lesson to those leaders who even lineup their family member to continue ruling Malawi in turns from a brother to another brother , from father to a son , from mother to a son or daughter and a home person to home a person.

    Malawi this time is going to be unified country slowly otherwise MEC auctions the leadership in Malawi , whoever offers more cash gets the presidency .?

  106. Izi ndiye zofunatu izi a DPP. 300% pay rise for MPs who are already being paid allowances for just anything you can think of, be it breathing or pets, munya! Am waiting for Goodall to quickly cone out and defend this too, just like he did with APM the MPs hikes. ” harmonisation patsogolo!!”.

  107. What is the diagnosis please?
    God, Chilima amati tsiku lija kuti zonse ziri bwino ku Malawi ndi cholinga chomutsangalatsa awa akukhala mu cocoon. President Professor doesn’t know what is happening in the country.
    Angoyenda yenda kuwononga misonkho yathu nkumakanamiza kaya ndani kuti ku Malawi ziri bwino chonsecho kuli Economical Ebola. Bolanso munankampatsa pay hike yakeyo akhale ku ofesi, asamayende yende ayi.
    Kodi paja Nkasa anayimba pin code amayidziwa ndi Mulungu. God help us, we want donors back in our country, PLEASE we, the ordinary citizen, are going to suffer if these people go on strike.
    Please God, come to our rescue….

  111. Koma ngati mukungodana A P M mulungu amukondabe, ma strke kulikose miyezi yomweyi mukuti munthu atani? Mukufuna mumupheso? Dzikolonse lapasi langovuta olo atakupatsani 700% singakukwanileni

  112. Koma kumenekoooo!!!!, and nthawi yabwino yamastrike ndiyomwe pomwe iwo adzikundikira chuma, inu jst imagine kamunthu kamodzi fuel 1000 litres which simply minz the economy is gud ndisamvenso iwe Gudo ndi Nation Newspaper Msowoya ukutokota zopusa, kukamwa nga chona agalu inu, mxieeew!!!!!!!

    1. kodi mumaona ngati anthu achipatala amawadyetsa ndi a khwangwala eti? these people sacrifice their time and energy. They work in auckward hours when u n me are dreaming. some have even lost their families because they sacrificed their time to caring for others than their own family. But they still cant afford a starlet, may be its too much, but they cant afford a good house to let, as if enough, they cant even afford to build a shark with the peanut they are receiving. Let the government consider these people than lazy judges, teachers, MPs and cabinet members. Its a shame people enjoy wen nurses and doctors are suffering physically, mentary, socially and economically. akwezeleni malipilo, or they will seek greener pastures elsewhere.

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