Chakwera
Civil servants in Malawi have said they will start striking on 9 January, 2023 over government’s failure to address their concerns relating to the high cost of living.
This is according to a letter signed by Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) general secretary Madalitso Njolomole and Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) general secretary Charles Kumchenga.
According to the letter, TUM and CSTU held a meeting with government negotiating team on December 16 this year at Kumbali Lodge in Lilongwe where they presented their concerns.
However, government is yet to address the concerns especially the ones relating to the current prevailing high cost of living that has made lives of majority public civil servants unbearable.
“We would like to notify government t of our intention to call for a nationwide industrial strike for all civil servants in Malawi from Monday, 9th January that shall be called until government addresses all concerns, we presented during the recent meeting at Kumbali Lodge,” reads part of the statement.
The civil servants have since urged government to treat their concerns with urgency to avoid effects of the industrial action.
Government employs thousands of civils servants including health workers, teachers and agriculture workers. A strike by the civil servants will likely disturb services provided by the government.
The cost of living in Malawi has gone up under the Lazarus Chakwera administration and the situation worsened in May this year when the government devalued the Malawi Kwacha.
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