Healthcare workers turn to court
Representative bodies for healthcare workers have sought the intervention of the Industrial Relations Court (IRC) on the implementation of health sector allowances after their employer, the Malawi Government U-turned on their agreement.
Physicians’ Assistants Union of Malawi (Paum) and National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives in Malawi (Nonm) have been pushing for an increase in the health sector allowances.
On February 13 2024, they signed a conciliation agreement with Ministry of Health Principal Secretary Samson Mndolo.
The deal outlined rates for various allowances.
But speaking in an interview yesterday, Paum president Solomon Chomba said the health workers have been forced to apply in the IRC to order enforcement of the conciliation agreement.
He said the decision follows a confirmation by the Ministry of Health that Treasury had offered different rates from the the conciliation agreement and that other allowances were not considered for approval.
Said Chomba: “We were actually waiting for the letter so that we can make an application before the court to order enforcement of the conciliation agreement.
“We received a letter from the ministry confirming the [allowance] issues.”
On June 24 this year, government approved adjustment of top up and professional allowances.
According to the letter from the Secretary for Human Resources Management and Development to the Ministry of Health dated June 24 2024, the top up allowances, covering grades C to M, ranged from K526 500 to K50 000 per month.
Health workers in grade C and D are entitled to K526 500, E and F are entitled to K351 000, G to I are entitled to K154 000, J to L are entitled to K86 800 while those in grade M are entitled to K50 000.
The professional allowance, covering grade D to L, ranges from K11 500 to K4 000 per month. Health workers in Grade D to I are entitled to K11 500, grades J to K are entitled to K7200 while those in grade L are entitled to K4 000.
Chomba said that government has shown lack of commitment to implement the conciliation agreement by approving these allowances; hence, the workers are seeking the court’s help on the matter.
“They took us to court first and we are also going to use the same channel to have our issues addressed,” he said.
The healthcare workers are also pushing for the vacation of an injunction that government got restraining them from holding a sit-in.
The sit-in planned for June 2024 sought to push government to implement the conciliation agreement.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe said what government approved as allowances for the health sector are not the final rates as the amounts will be reviewed from time to time.
He said government has tried its best to offer something, especially that the offers are being made after the budget had already passed.
Said Chikumbe: “After considering many factors, the Treasury offered what is in the response. It may not exactly be what was requested for but on the other hand as a ministry we thought we needed to commend Treasury for offering something considering that this is happening after the budget has already been passed.
“What it means is that there were some sacrifices made to come to those figures that were offered.”
The amounts were arrived at after negotiations as the healthcare workers were demanding higher amounts. Among the allowances the health workers want to be increased are risk allowances, locum, professional allowance and top up allowance.
According to the conciliation agreement, the parties agreed that workers from grade I to M, should be entitled to risk allowance of K150 000, D and E to K95 000 while C get K60 000.
On locum rates that applied to grade G to K and were based on district and central hospitals.
