Malawi Govt, ODPP staff compromise

Work has resumed at the Office of Director of Public Procurement (ODPP) after staff ended their month-long strike which paralysed the public procurement overseer.

The staff and government reached a compromise on Tuesday when secretary for Human Resource Management and Development Sam Madula wrote ODPP director Dye Mawindo, informing him of a total salary restructuring at the ODPP.

But government has rebuffed ODPP staff on their earlier demands to be given an accumulated 146 percent salary increase.

“I am pleased to inform you that government has approved the restructuring of salaries for the Office of Director of Public Procurement staff with effect from July 1 2012. The salary restructuring is over and above the revision which was announced in my earlier letter. These salaries will attract no arrears as claimed in your letter to the OPC,” wrote Madula on October 8 2012.

In an interview on Wednesday, representative of the striking staff Clement Banda said ODPP staff are satisfied with the compromise.

“According to the structure, this means about 40 percent increases across the board. Staff is satisfied with the restructuring,” he said.

In an earlier interview, Mawindo acknowledged that the strike had paralysed public procurement.