Malawi: FOCSU Demands Sweeping Salary Hike, Slams Government Over ‘Token’ Adjustment
The newly formed Federation of Civil Service Unions (FOCSU) has demanded a major overhaul of salaries and allowances for civil servants, rejecting the government’s recent 10-20 percent pay increase as inadequate and unlawfully imposed without consultation.
FOCSU argues that the adjustment ignores unions’ legal right to be engaged and fails to reflect the harsh economic reality facing workers, as rising taxes continue to erode already strained take-home pay.
Speaking at a press conference in Lilongwe on Wednesday, interim president Solomon David Chomba and interim Secretary General Druwen Frank Moyo called for a 100 percent salary increase, citing the soaring cost of living and the sharp depreciation of the Malawi Kwacha.
They referenced findings from the 2024 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey, which indicate that an average household now needs at least K1 million per month to meet basic needs–far beyond the reach of most civil servants.
FOCSU also tore into existing allowances, describing them as outdated and detached from economic realities. The federation said the current K30,000 transport allowance has been overtaken by events, especially after fuel prices nearly tripled in the past seven months–fueling absenteeism and crippling productivity.
It has proposed raising the transport allowance to K150,000, while pushing for the special allowance–currently pegged at K60,000–to be increased to between K120,000 and K250,000 to meaningfully cushion workers.
On annual leave grants, FOCSU is demanding an increase of between 100 and 150 percent.
The federation did not stop at salaries. It accused the government of failing to remit pension contributions deducted from workers’ salaries to the Pension Funds Trust, describing the situation as unacceptable and unlawful. FOCSU is now demanding that all outstanding funds be remitted within 21 days, that implicated officials be prosecuted within the same timeframe, and that all twelve trustees resign immediately to pave the way for a reconstituted, skills-based board.
When challenged on the feasibility of a 100 percent salary increase given government’s tight fiscal space, Chomba and Moyo dismissed the argument, accusing authorities of selective austerity.
“We have observed that government is applying austerity measures selectively. Look at Members of Parliament–they are earning about K6 million monthly. One MP proposed a cut to their fuel allowances, but nothing happened. Councillors have also had their perks significantly increased. Meanwhile, civil servants are expected to survive on marginal adjustments, yet we all buy from the same market,” said Moyo.
FOCSU maintains that its demands are not excessive, but necessary.
“These are not just financial demands. They are about restoring dignity, morale, and productivity in the civil service,” said Chomba. “Failure to act within the stipulated timelines will leave unions with no choice but to pursue lawful industrial action.”
By Nyasa Times.
