By Pemphero Malimba:
The Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) says it plans to begin discussions with the Government Negotiating Team (GNT) on salary revision and restructuring in January next year.
The talks are expected to take place amid unresolved disagreements over recent Pay as You Earn (Paye) adjustments.
Minister of Finance Joseph Mwanamvekha announced the changes during the mid-year budget review, which was approved during the recent meeting of Parliament.
The measures included increasing the zero-rated Paye threshold from K150,000 to K170,000, removing the 25 percent middle-income bracket and introducing a 30 percent minimum tax rate.
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CSTU president Lameck Magawa said the union wanted the salary review to cushion civil servants facing financial hardship due to low wages.
“Salary revision or restructuring is necessary because it is the only way to bail out the poor Malawian civil servant.
“An analysis of the new Paye tariffs shows that most civil servants earning K300,000 and above are experiencing increased deductions, which is against the Employment Act,” Magawa said.
He said details of the proposal would be shared later.
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“As a CSTU and Teachers Union of Malawi team, we have not yet finalised our proposal, but given the impact of inflation we will come up with a reasonable percentage,” he said.
Magawa said the union was waiting for a government response after issuing a 14-day ultimatum over the Paye adjustments. This followed a meeting between CSTU and GNT on December 15, 2025.
GNT chairperson Bright Kumwembe declined to comment.
“I do not discuss such matters. Good day,” Kumwembe said in response to questions.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has urged the government to reconsider the Paye changes, warning that they could worsen economic vulnerability and widen the gap between wages and the cost of living.
HRDC chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa said the government had not acted on calls to reverse the adjustments.
“The fact that discussions are ongoing gives us cautious optimism. What matters now is that these talks produce concrete outcomes that address the cost-of-living challenges facing civil servants,” Kaiyatsa said.
He urged the government to act with urgency and fairness.
