The Civil Service Trade Union (CSTU) plans to meet presidential candidates to seek their views on civil service reforms in the run up to the May 20 Tripartite Elections.
CSTU general secretary Madalitso Njolomole said in an interview yesterday that the union had written a proposal seeking funding for the meetings.
Said Njolomole: “We have not heard clearly from the presidential candidates on what plans they have for an effective and motivated civil service. Manifestos are being released but we have not heard concrete plans for the civil service.”
He said if presidential candidates shunned the call from the civil servants that would be an indication that they did not care about the civil service.
So far, the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) is one organisation which has held ‘interface’ meetings with presidential candidates seeking commitments on issues such as implementation of Section 65 which deals with crossing the floor by parliamentarians, independence of Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), separation of powers and a fresh review of the Constitution which stalled in 2007.
The plan by CSTU comes hot on the heels of a seven-day ultimatum to government to implement a mid-term salary review they promised in June last year in keeping with the rising cost of living, but has not taken place because Parliament has not met since November last year.
CSTU has also demanded resumption of full funding to ministries and departments, which has been drastically reduced as a result of the withdrawal of budgetary support negatively affecting public service delivery and stalling government projects.
