By Wezzie Gausi:
The Civil Service Trade Union has rejected an allocation of K70 billion in the 2024-25 financial year meant for salary increment in the civil service, The Daily Times has learnt.
The government, through a taskforce that was established, has been championing discussions on salary increment and wage restructuring in the public sector.
According to chairperson for the taskforce Charles Kalemba, the engagement with trade union leaders on salary increment allocation has proved futile.
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He said unions have rejected the K70 billion because they claim that it is a pittance.
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“We, indeed, had some meetings with the trade union to discuss the issue of salary increment but the unions have rejected government’s offer. “We, as a taskforce, will be reporting back to the Treasury and we will continue with the negotiations,” Kalemba said.
Secretary to the Treasury Betchani Tchereni said the government would continue to engage the unions until they reach an agreement.
He said the K70 billion allocation was meant to help cushion workers from the effects of devaluation.
In November last year, the Reserve Bank of Malawi announced that the Kwacha had been devalued by 44 percent.
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“Our door is always open to make sure that we reach an agreement on the matter. We will keep on engaging the union.
“However, the best thing that we can do is to have salaries of all people in the public sector harmonised. As things stand, there are huge salary disparities between those in the civil service and those working in parastatals despite both being in the public sector. So, we, as Treasury, need to amend this,” Tchereni said.
Malawi Congress of Trade Unions Secretary General Madalitso Njolomole confirmed that they had rejected the offer as the K70 billion translates to 7 percent salary increment.
He wondered how the government reached the figure as, last year, the salary increment was at 15 percent.
“We believe that this government is a listening one and that they will consider adjusting the figures for people in the civil service to be able to stand the effects of devaluation,” Njolomole said.
Meanwhile, the Treasury has revealed that the salary increment will differ as people who are receiving low salaries will get a higher percentage of the increments than those that are receiving huge salaries.
In January, the government agreed to raise civil servants’ salaries by an average of 15 percent after workers protested the 10 percent hike.
