Strike looms at Luanar

The Ministry of Education has directed Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) to suspend its new salary structure and revert to University of Malawi (Unima) perks, prompting some lecturers to threaten a strike if government does not reverse the order.

But lawyer Gift Nankhuni says the Industrial Relations Court in Blantyre has granted an injunction stopping the Luanar council from implementing the directive.

While the ministry accuses the Luanar council of jumping the gun, the council argues that it followed the procedures in getting the new pay structure approved by Parliament.

On its part, the staff union at the university has accused council chairperson Zachary Kasomekela of acting unilaterally in nodding to the directive.

The directive comes two months after Luanar’s new salary structure came into effect after both Treasury and Parliament had approved the institution’s new budget.

Ministry of Education spokesperson Rebecca Phwitiko claimed the directive to revert to Unima salaries came because Luanar did not follow procedures in line with the Public Finance Management Act.

“After the council agreed on the new salary structure, there was need to submit the same to government (Treasury) for approval since this had implications on the budget. This is a requirement of the Public Finance Management Act that any decision that has financial implications must be approved by Treasury before implementation,” said Pwitiko.

But Kasomekela maintained that the council submitted the budget to Treasury.

“We had a meeting with Treasury before Treasury submitted the same to Parliament and Parliament approved. As regards procedures, we don’t know what else.

“Who gets the budget to Parliament if it’s not Treasury? And who takes it back to Treasury after Parliament has passed it?

“We are currently following up with government to get the gist of the matter,” said Kasomekela.

Luanar Vice-Chancellor Professor George Kanyama Phiri said he has been briefing staff on the directive.

“So far, indications are that they are approaching it in a mature and sober manner. I hope it will continue as such,” he said.

But indications we gathered from a number of lecturers are that they are determined to fight the directive.

“We are taking to task our employer (council) for agreeing to such an order. We started drawing the new salaries in July and come September government wrote our Vice-Chancellor that we must revert to the old salary structure,” said Luanar staff union president Ronnie Timpunza Mvula.

When Bunda College of Agriculture turned into Luanar, it adopted its own council, new salary and management structures.

In a letter dated September 11 2013, secretary for higher education Patrick Kabambe directed that the difference between the old salaries when Luanar was under Unima and what they received from July be turned into loans or salary advances.

While Mvula did not say what they will do if government does not succumb to pressure, several lecturers indicated they will not return to class when students come back in November.

“Already, I am not going to work until we hear the way forward,” said one lecturer in an interview.

“Imagine, my salary had gone up by 50 percent and we had adjusted our lives and all of a sudden I have to go back. Obviously, my morale is so low,” said another lecturer, seeking anonymity.