Civil servants’ 12% pay hike gets the nod

Negotiations between the Government Negotiating Team (GNT) and Civil Service Trade Union (CSTU) on Wednesday culminated in a 12 percent salary increase with effect from April 1 2024.

The approval means that civil servants have cumulatively had their salaries increased by 27 percent between January and April after government implemented a 15 percent pay hike in January 2024, but with arrears dating back to November 1 2023.

However, government is yet to implement a proposed dramatic increase in allowances for health workers.

CSTU general secretary Madalitso Njolomole confirmed the increase in an interview yesterday.

He said: “The 15 percent [implemented in January] was meant to cushion the effects of the devaluation while this 12 percent is a financial year increment.

“We also expect that government will implement the new pay as you earn tax bracket this month.”

The new salary hike pushes the wage bill from K70 billion to K100 billion.

Meanwhile, health workers under the Physician Assistants Union of Malawi (Paum) and the National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives (Nonm) said they are concerned with government’s delays to honour a raise on their allowances.

In an interview yesterday, Nonm president Solomon Chomba said while they appreciate government for raising their salaries, they have not seen any urgency and commitment from Secretary for Health Samson Mndolo to make a final determination on the matter.

He warned that they plan to go on a mass sit-in should government fail to raise the allowances by mid-May this year.

Mndolo did not respond to our phone calls and messages when we tried to find out the cause for the delay to implement the agreement.

The deal brokered by Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) executive secretary Habiba Osman in a conciliation settlement dated February 13 2024 saw allowances, namely locum rates, risk or medical, government top-up and professional rise by thousands of percentages effective November 1 2023.

The document, jointly signed by Mndolo, Osman, Nonm president Shouts Simeza and Chomba, indicated that the proposed monthly professional allowance would jump to about K30 000 from K1 800 for juniors and K2 800 for seniors, among others.