Govt defuses civil servants, Judiciary strikes

Government has quickly rushed to defuse a situation which would have led to civil servants, including teachers, downing tools tomorrow if there were no response to their demands for revision of leave grant and salaries.

Incumbent Joyce Banda’s administration has opted to bow down to pressure from the civil servants and Judiciary support staff, who started strike on Friday last week,  which would have been detrimental to her chances of winning in the May 20 Tripartite Elections which is in less than seven days.

The 140 000-strong civil service had planned to go on strike starting tomorrow, but has since rescinded their decision following the issuance of a circular instructing the payment of leave grants effective 2013/14 holiday year.

In the revision of leave grant circular reference HRM/ALL/01/07 vol II, secretary for Human Resource Management and Development Sam Madula states that government had approved the rates effective 2013/14, but implementation would only take effect from July 1 2014.

Reads the circular in part: “Controlling officers are advised to ensure that revised rates are included in the budget estimates for the 2014/15 financial year. The relevant section of the Malawi Public Service Regulation will be amended accordingly to reflect the revised rates.”

This means those in Grade A who are entitled to 36 annual leave days will start getting K72 000; those in Grade B will be getting K67 000 with a difference of K5 000  with those in Grade C and K10 000 less for those in Grade D.

Grades E, F, G and H who are entitled to 30 annual leave days will get leave grant ranging from K43 000 to K30 000 while Grades I, J to M who get 24 annual leave days will get an increase ranging from K30 000 to K28 000, according to the circular.

However, no circular has been issued with on the much-anticipated salary review, but Civil Service Trade Union (CSTU) secretary general Madalitso Njolomole said the union and the Government Negotiating Team (GNT) had agreed in principle.

He said: “Whatever we agreed on leave grant has been approved. But on salaries, we are just waiting to satisfy certain conditions, but we are sure the response would be positive.”

A meeting with civil servants that the leadership of CSTU and Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) were expected to address at Capital Hill yesterday failed because the union leaders were locked in a meeting with the GNT.

Meanwhile, the Judiciary support staff have agreed to go back to work after discussions between the administration and staff representatives yielded fruit.

Judiciary spokesperson and High Court registrar Joseph Chigona confirmed that the housing allowance which the staff claimed they were entitled since the Judiciary was no longer in the consolidated perks group of civil servants would be implemented.