Negotiations between the Government Negotiating Team (GNT) and Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) on Thursday culminated in a 20 percent salary increase with effect from April 1 2025.
Both GNT chairperson Charles Kalemba and CSTU secretary general Titha Gomani confirmed the agreement in separate interviews yesterday.
After heated talks lasting hours, Gomani said it was agreed that civil servants will get a 20 percent salary increase with an average of 18 percent.
Kalemba. | Nation
She revealed that transport and special allowances have been increased by 50 percent while the leave grant will rise within the range of 10 to 40 percent.
Gomani said GNT, CSTU and Teachers Union of Malawi have signed a memorandum of understanding for salaries to be reviewed again during the Mid-Year Budget Review. “We proposed 44 percent increase. After negotiations, we also considered other realities. But we would have loved to get 30 percent right away.
“We cannot say we are satisfied. There are other commitments to be met during the Mid-Year Budget Review and we are looking forward to that,” she said.
Gomani further disclosed that they have since suspended their planned nationwide strike.
The civil servants demanded a 44 percent salary increase and 200 percent hike of special and transport allowances.
In a separate interview yesterday, Kalemba confirmed that “there may be a salary review” during the Mid- Year Budget Review while stressing that government has the resources to implement these adjustments.
He said: “How can you doubt government? Can government commit to what it cannot do? That has never happened. Whatever government agrees to, that is what government is going to do.”
Last week, the civil servants rejected a salary and allowances increase offer that government presented to them, saying it was way below their demands.
Meanwhile, National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives in Malawi (Nonm), Physicians Assistants Union of Malawi (Paum) and Medical Doctors Union of Malawi (Mdum) say they stand in solidarity with CSTU and TUM.
A statement dated February 26 2025, signed by leaders of the three organisations says they are planning nationwide demonstrations in the event that the 2025/26 National Budget leaves out the health sector specific allowances carried over from 2024.
Reads the letter in part: “On record, we have written 2 reminders to the Minister of Finance on the inclusion of these allowances in the letters dated November 2 2024 and January 13 2025. We remain hopeful that these allowances have been captured in the budget to be presented on Friday.”
In the first week of February this year, civil servants gave government a 14-day ultimatum to address their demands for salary and allowance hike, failing which they would have gone on a nationwide strike on February 25.
On April 1 2024 government also increased salaries for civil servants by 12 percent.
Opposition benches rise after the presentation of the National Budget. | Jacob Nankhonya
