Malawi teachers in strike threat over salary as soon as May

Malawi teachers are threatening strike action as early as next month in their campaign to have salary adjustments.

Teachers Union of Malawi (Tum) has since given government an ultimatum to address their grievances by May 9 or else they will mobilise the teachers to withdraw their labour nationwide.

Tum said the sit-in will involve all primary and secondary school teachers.

The body says government should consider salary adjustment for teachers who were promoted in 2013.

The grievances include adjustment of salaries for all teachers promoted in 2013 to Grade TK (PT3) as well salary adjustment for teachers promoted in 2013 to Grade TJ (PT2).

“TUM maintains that it is the responsibility of your Ministry to provide transport to all teachers who were promoted to Grade TJ in 2013 and ferry them to their new duty stations. Let it be brought to your attention that the said teachers have already reported to their new District Education Managers, travelling all such long distances using their own money. We hope it is within your knowledge that some of the teachers were posted all the way from Blantyre Urban to Mzimba South; Chikwawa to Nkhotakota; Mzuzu to Mzimba South and many more distant areas. To expect the teachers to transport themselves is totally inhuman and unacceptable by all teachers,” reads part of the petition sent to Ministry of Education

TUM demand that the teachers be provided with transport and award them their hard earned promotion or promote them while working in their initial schools.

The teachers body also demand Minister of Education Emmanuel Fabiano to retract his statement which he made that Ministry of Education has withdrawn the promotions because of failure of the teachers to report to their new duty stations.

“We wonder who is a failure in this particular case,” reads the statement in part.

Added the statement: “TUM has learnt with great shock that many of the teachers who were promoted in 2013 to Grade TK (PT3) and whose letters of promotion have already been issued to the said teachers cannot have their salaries adjusted until vacancies are established in their various districts through deaths and retirement of the existing holders. This is incomprehensible and unacceptable by all means.”

Ministry of Education spokesperson said rather than threatening “unnecessary strike action” the teachers should engage government for dialogue.

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