Malawi's estimated 120,000 civil servants - including teachers and immigration officers - are on strike demanding wage increases to counter the rising cost of living.Workers complain that since the government devalued the local currency, the kwacha, by 49% in May, their incomes have been badly affected.
All airports in Malawi have been forced to shut down following a wage strike by civil servants.
Both domestic and international flights were cancelled.Passengers flying on South African Airways (SAA), Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines were stranded on Wednesday Feb 20,2013The indefinite strike, affecting nearly all government departments, is the biggest since Joyce Banda became president in 2012
Trade unions are demanding a 65% wage increase, about double the inflation rate.
Finance Minister Ken Lipenga said on Thursday Feb 21,2013 that the government could not afford to increase wage costs
General Strike Ends - Thursday Feb 21,2013
Malawi Civil Service Trade Union(CSTU)and Malawian Govt agreed for a 61% pay-hike for the lowest paid public sector employees and a 5% pay-hike for the higher earners effective Jan 1,2013
CSTU President Elia Kamphinda Banda said that the Malawian Govt has offered to review civil servant's salary structure
No comments:
Post a Comment