A meeting between civil servants and their employer, the Malawi Government, regarding pay rise demands failed to yield positive results on Friday, The Daily Times has learned.
We have further established that the government workers declined the rate of the proposed hike, describing the package as “peanuts”.
The civil servants, represented by Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) and Teachers Union of Malawi (Tum), have since sent back the Government Negotiation Team (GNT), asking it to get back to them with an improved offer before February 28, sources have told us.
Among other things, the about-300,000 civil servants are demanding a 44 percent salary hike, salary restructuring as well as a 200 percent rise in transport and special allowances and leave grant.
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According to inside sources, the government was offering a 10 percent salary adjustment, which reportedly angered workers’ representatives.
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In an interview at the weekend, CSTU General Secretary Titha Gomani confirmed meeting the GNT over the matter on Friday.
While confirming that the meeting did not end well, Gomani refused to confirm reports about the 10 percent salary hike offer from the government.
“They were offering too little. That’s all I can say and we sent them back to bring an improved offer before February 28,” Gomani said.
Finance Minister Simplex Chithyola Banda is expected to present the 2025- 26 national budget on February 28 and, according to inside sources, government workers want Chithyola Banda to pronounce the improved salary hike figures in the budget.
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“As such, we have decided to suspend the nationwide strike until we conclude our negotiations on February 28. We will decide as to whether to proceed with the strike or not after the talks,” Gomani said.
TEAM—Kalemba
GNT Chairperson Charles Kalemba was not immediately available for a comment at the weekend.
However, sources that are privy to the negotiations said they would like Chithyola Banda to pronounce whatever will be agreed during the meeting when he delivers his budget statement on Friday.
In a statement on February 5 this year, signed by CSTU President Lameck Magawa, Tum President Willy Malimba, CSTU General Secretary Gomani and Tum General Secretary Charles Kumchenga, the trade unions argued that they found it disheartening that their repeated attempts to engage in constructive dialogue with the government had been disregarded.
“We have made every effort to follow due processes, and yet our concerns continue to fall on deaf ears. It is with a sense of urgency that we now find ourselves compelled to issue this 14-day ultimatum.
“Our message is clear: civil servants are not second-class citizens, and our contributions to this nation must be respected.
“We assert that the civil service is not an animal farm, and we will not accept decisions being made on our behalf without our input. We stand firm in the belief that ‘Nothing for us, without us’. The time for complacency is over,” the statement reads.
CSTU and Tum added that the future of Malawi’s civil servants and teachers rested on the government’s response to what they described as their pressing needs.
“We trust that the government will treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves, and we remain hopeful that a peaceful resolution can be reached.
“However, we are prepared to take all necessary steps to ensure the well-being of our members and to uphold the rights of workers in Malawi,” the statement indicated.
