Health workers across the country have threatened to go on strike this week if government does not raise their perks.
Through a joint press statement, the National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi (NONM), and the Physician Assistants Union of Malawi (PAUM), accuse the Government of failing to meet the agreed deadline to provide feedback on their proposed allowance increment.
It is reported that the Ministry of Health, through its meeting with NONM and PAUM, engaged the Secretary to Treasury to increase specific allowances in the health sector.
Jointly calculated with arrears, the allowance increment was supposed to be effective from 1 November, 2023, reports say.
Despite committing to provide feedback on the recent proposal for allowance increment before April 26, 2024, the ministry is yet to do as agreed. This has prompted the two institutions to hold nationwide peaceful demonstrations on Thursday 2 May, 2024.
The two union organizations say the demonstrations will see them deliver petitions to all city and district councils of Malawi requesting immediate action.
“Today marks two (2) days after the 26th April 2024 agreed date by the Secretary for Health (SH) to provide NONM and PAUM with the final feedback.
“After a thorough discussion and legal consultation with full exhaustion of all due processes, NONM and PAUM with membership demand have resolved to conduct peaceful demonstrations in all cities and districts across the country on 2nd May 2024 from 9 am,” reads the statement in a part.
Meanwhile, the two organizations are encouraging all nurses, midwives, and clinicians including those who will be off duty on the stated date, to be part of the constitutional right undertaking while putting on their official uniforms and all other identifications.
