MHRC intervenes in health workers’ pay dispute

Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has invited parties to the healthcare workers’ pay dispute to conciliation hearings next week in a bid to resolve the stand-off.

Parties to the dispute are Physicians Assistants Union of Malawi (Paum), Ministry of Health and the National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives in Malawi (Nonm).

The ministry referred the matter to MHRC following a deadlock in its negotiations with Paum and Nonm who are demanding between 20 and 40 percent pay hike in line with the 44 percent kwacha devaluation effected by the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) last year.

In a letter to Paum dated January 8 2024, MHRC said it has set the hearings for between Tuesday and Friday.

Reads the letter in part: “The commission is inviting you and other representatives of Paum to a preliminary conciliation hearing at the commission’s head office in Lilongwe.

“The purpose of this preliminary conciliation meeting is for the commission to hear from Paum its concerns regarding this labour dispute. The commission will conduct individual preliminary conciliation hearings with all the three parties to this dispute.”

The commission said after the preliminary hearing it would proceed to conduct “a substantive conciliation hearing on 23rd January, 2024, where all three parties shall be present”.

Meanwhile, the commission has promised that the process will be conducted in line with “human rights-based approach principles”  and further  “ensure that there are no power imbalances between the disputing parties”.

MHRC has said that it has targeted to finalise the process on January 26, 2024 when all parties are expected to sign the agreed Conciliation Agreement.

Paum president Solomon Chomba confirmed receiving the letter and described the development as the right direction in resolving the standoff.

He said in an interview yesterday: “We believe it will create a platform whereby most of the issues which Paum has been advocating for in the past years will be taken on board.

“Our demands still remain. We need a better salary increment ranging from 20 to 40 percent.  If the government is to maintain 15 percent [effected on civil servants], we will push for our special allowance increments. For example, the professional allowance. It has stagnated for more than 15 years.”

On his part, Nonm president Shouts Simeza also expressed optimism that their demands will be met through the conciliatory process.

“Our expectations are that what we want will be given to us. Suffice to say that when such circumstances come, in an advocacy plea, we go for a win-win.  We will be looking forward to a mutually agreed process,” he said in an interview yesterday.

Nonm and Paum last month issued a seven day ultimatum with a warning that they would go on strike on December 29 if their demands are not met.

However, the strike was postponed after the two warring sides agreed to engage MHRC as a reconciliator.

In a letter asking MHRC to reconcile them, the Ministry of Health accused Nonm and Paum of lacking patience.

The letter, dated December 22 2023, reference number MH/ADM/1/1(3) and signed by Secretary for Health Samson Mndolo reads in part: “The ministry reminded the two bodies about a recent government commitment during the recent budget mid-year review, to implement measures aimed at cushioning civil servants against the effects of devaluation.

“The ministry, therefore, expected patience from the two bodies as the extent of their requests may, therefore, depend on what measures the government has planned to implement.”

The conciliation is provided for in Section 44 of the Labour Relations Act as a remedy when a dispute is unresolved after the two parties have exhausted the settlement procedures.