University of Malawi staff to strike, demand salary hike
University of Malawi Workers Union have threatened to strike, demanding pay rise.
Unima support staff, through the University Workers Trade Union (UWTU), are demanding not less than 45 percent or up to 75 percent salary increment the 25 percent being offered by the government.
It is also understood that academic members of staff will embark on industrial action demanding better salaries and working conditions.
The issues go back to four years ago when the UNIMA Council endorsed a report by Enerst and Young who recommended that staff salaries in the university should be adjusted by 200% to bring them closer to what prevails in other similar institutions in the region and to take care of a revised salary structure.
The staff got only 60% with the promise that the remaining 40% would be implemented incrementally in due course.
The academic freedom saga that lasted 8 months in 2011 overshadowed the salary issues but the recent massive devaluation of the kwacha and the attendant high cost of living has rekindled it.
The university staff want salary adjustment following the general increases awarded to the civil service and other institutions.
More chaos in the academic calendar is expected, unless the salary issues are timely resolved.
The labour dispute has rocked several institutions in the country of late with staff at Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) have given the government a seven-day ultimatum to review their working conditions or risk an indefinite strike like the current Judiciary strike which has shut down the courts in the country.
ACB employees are unhappy about an alleged breach of contract by the bureau’s director general in enforcing the terms and conditions of service.
“As a dispute of right, our preference was to go to court for litigation but since the courts are almost non-functional, we have no choice but to commence a strike as a way of enforcing our right under the contract,” the notice said.
ACB employees’ contracts provide that their salaries shall be revised by the bureau any time there is a raise in the remuneration of civil service and an increase in the cost of living.
Meanwhile, Malawi Congress for Trade Union (MCTU) said it expects President Peter Mutharika to come up with measures to end the labour dispute that has rocked several institutions in the country.
MCTU President Chauluka Muwake said the Head of State should show statesmanship and leadership in coming out with measures to end the disputes through peaceful means and collective bargaining.
“The government should meet with leaders of the institutions over the labour dispute to seek resolution of the matter immediately,” he said.
He said Malawi cannot afford to stay without operations of institutions like the courts, universities and the Anti-Corruption Bureau among others.
Muwake therefore appealed to all trade unions in the country to preserve the culture of unionism and support the bargaining process of fellow workers in their quest for social justice.
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Most of the pple at the university offoce at the management level inluding the vice chancellor and the university registrar , Mr Malunga are crooks, The government gave 30 percent to to entire members of staff in the university but these crooks have stollen the money please give them the differeerence otherwise you are going to dig that money from your pockets. Mr President remove these crooks they simply want to turnish your image, they are thieves. Please summon them and ask where they have kerpt that 16 percent they stollen from members of staff. Enough is enough!!!!!!!
No comment. (Ndilibe lawyer)
To Enerst and Young: When you made the 200% proposal by comparing with other universities in the region, did you take into account the sizes of the economies of those countries?
Apm woyyeeeeeeesss.NAC Gate wooyeeeeeeeeess.zibwebwetani ife pano tili ku casino tikupanga zina ndalama inu muli pa nyasa kumangolalata mutadya mango anu osapsa.Boma ilooooooooo..ayamba kale ayamba kaleeee njenje kunjenjemera.asafuna atuluke mziko muno.komanso musatuluke mwa ulemu wanu mutulutse ndalama yokwana 60 000mutipatse kuti chiphatso chanu chituluke.
nawo akuba ali pa sitaraka
zalowa macheza zowonelana eti?
Its very stupid and pathetic to say those asking for salary increments are oppositions that is being stupid at its best, the dpp party promised its suppers that when it gets into power they shall increase the salaries by 50% on average. They said to civil servants of course have they done that? Now tell me what is the difference among these people asking for salary increment and civil servants, they all get their funding from the same account#1, we the parties are making stupid promised during campaign all they think is to go into power without thinking the out… Read more »
Ine as a tax payer demand restructuring basi. No way out some of these should go.
Trueth be told MoG and UNIMA agreed on 30%, some greedy people removed 16% for some UNIMA golden jubilee function to be done in 2015 and gave the stuff 14% and a bunch of lies…its really simple give them the 16% thy ll b ok…but someone somewhere akufuna luphaka 16% oooooo ziwavuta
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s true that survival has become tough, but if so it is what about a poor person in the village or a jobless fellow? Strike should be the last, last, last resort. Wherever you withdraw your services the ones who suffer are your own relatives, friends, children, the poor, those you pray with, villagers, name them. Please let’s excise endurance, where will the government get the money?