Teachers Union of Malawi threaten strike as they demand K1.7bn salary arrears
Teachers in public schools are threatening not to administer year end examination unless they are paid their salary arrears amounting to K1.7 billion.
Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) secretary general Charles Kumchenga said the government owes some teachers the arrears dating back to five years ago.
“We have been patient for a long time. The government has been cheating us for long, enough is enough,” said Kumchenga.
He said the industrial action was the last resort after abortive attempts for the payment of the arrears.
Treasury spokesperson Davis Sado said all the money for the arrears have since been given to district and city councils.
“We have disbursed all the money to district councils, we have done that,” he said.
Local council officials have a history of abusing public money.
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This is grossly unfair to the teachers concerned. Why should a teacher do his/her best in the classroom, if they are not being paid according to their contract. This is yet another reason why the standard of education in Malawi has deteriorated. The Ministry of Education should follow up on this to determine where the salaries they have paid have ended up. It is not enough just to say that they were paid to the local councils, if those who were supposed to receive them, did not.