Federation of Civil Service Unions (Focsu) has asked the Malawi Government to address outstanding concerns about promotions, pension contributions and salary arrears.
The union has since warned that failure to respond could trigger industrial action.
Focsu president Solomon Chomba and secretary general Druwen Moyo, in a June 3, 2026 letter addressed to Chief Secretary to the Government Justin Saidi, said the delays have left some officers promoted during the 2024/25 financial year without corresponding benefits.
“Such delays violate the principles of fairness, equity and administrative justice expected of a public employer,” reads the letter in part.
Focsu has also expressed concern over worsening vacancy rates in the civil service, arguing that the shortages have increased employee burnout and reduced productivity.
On pensions, the federation has demanded the remittance of all outstanding contributions, disclosure of pension assets and liabilities, recovery of any lost funds and prosecution of individuals found responsible for wrongdoing.
The federation has further raised concerns over unpaid salary arrears and what it describes as the exclusion of civil service federations from negotiations on salaries, allowances, promotions and conditions of service.
But the federation acknowledged recent government adjustments of allowances, including an increase in transport allowance from K30 000 to K50 000 per month.
In an interview yesterday, Chomba said the federation first raised the issues in a memorandum submitted on April 29 this year before following up with the June 3 letter, but has yet to receive a response from the Office of the President and Cabinet.
Saidi yesterday said he could not comment as he was not in office.
Commenting on the matter, trade unionist Robert Mkwezalamba said the concerns raised by the federation are valid and need to be addressed.
However, he noted that government traditionally engages with Civil Service Trade Union and the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions on labour issues, which could raise questions about Focsu’s mandate to represent civil servants.
Focsu is an alliance comprising the Physician Assistants Union of Malawi, Secondary School Teachers Union, Medical Doctors Union of Malawi, Human Resources for Health Coalition, Concerned Civil Servants, Concerned Teachers of Malawi, Teacher Educators Union and Medical Laboratory Professionals Union of Malawi.
Chomba said Focsu was established in April this year to provide a platform for effectively raising grievances for all categories of civil servants.
