NRB moves to avert strike
National Registration Bureau (NRB) has moved to engage interns assigned to the institution in a bid to avert a looming strike to push for an upward adjustment of field allowances.
The interns also want NRB to settle arrears owed to their previous cohort.
But in an interview yesterday, NRB Principal Secretary Mphatso Sambo said management will meet representatives of the interns this week.
He said the bureau is consulting with relevant government departments on the demands.
Sambo also conceded that some interns have not been paid, but could not divulge the total amount of outstanding arrears.
He said: “There has been misinformation that the funds are coming from the United Nations Development Programme. But this is a Malawi Government process that is different from the one that happened in 2017.
“But we understand, their concerns are genuine considering the high cost of living. There are some interns who have not been paid. However, these payments are on a single voucher and there are times individuals have given wrong account details.”
In a letter dated July 12 2024 and addressed to NRB principal human resource management officer, the interns threatened to go on strike on Monday to demand the revision of field allowances from K70 000 to K280 000.
The interns are also demanding payment of arrears for interns who previously worked with the bureau and better working conditions, saying they have not received any feedback from a previous memo to management.
Secretary for the group of interns Gregory Undertree said in an interview yesterday that they were contacted by their superiors on Sunday, after which talks were arranged to happen tomorrow.
In April this year, interns under the Malawi Government Graduate Internship Programme asked the government to increase their allowance from K80 000 to K250 000 per month.
