Employees at Mzuzu City Council have begun industrial action, demanding a 25 percent salary increase after reportedly going three years without a pay adjustment.
Vice Chairperson of the Mzuzu City Council Workers Union, Magodi Philip Tembo, said the council had committed to implementing the 25 percent increase this year.
Tembo said workers were also concerned that a 17 percent salary adjustment approved by government for the 2024/25 financial year was never implemented for council employees.
According to Tembo, the council explained that the government-approved increment did not apply to staff employed by local councils.
The workers have now resorted to industrial action as they press the council to address their salary concerns and honour its commitment on the proposed increase.
Meanwhile, Mzuzu City Council Chief Executive Officer Gomezgani Nyasulu said management is engaging the workers with the aim of finding a solution to the dispute.
The industrial action has brought renewed attention to salary negotiations and employment conditions affecting workers in local authorities.
