Chanco gives 7-day ultimatum

The Chancellor College Academic Staff Union (Ccasu) has given the University of Malawi (Unima) up to September 4 to resolve their salaries issue, failing which the staff will go on strike.

In a notice of industrial action on Tuesday signed by Ccasu’s president Sunduzwayo Madise and  secretary Symon Chiziwa, the union claims it has noticed that the Unima management has not being responsive to the revision of lecturers’ salaries; as such, they will withdraw their duties.

Reads the document, in part: “There has been failure by the University of Malawi to respond to Ccasu’s salary revision proposal within the stipulated time and there has been a failure by the University of Malawi to make an offer for salary revision.

“Therefore, take notice that following a meeting made by Ccasu on 27 August, at the expiry of seven day, unless there is a resolution of the dispute, Ccasu members will proceed  on industrial action and withdraw their labour.”

The announcement follows another meeting in Lilongwe between Unima management, Ccasu and the Polytechnic Academic Staff Committee on Welfare (Pascow) where the lecturers rejected a 21 percent salary increment, insisting on the 113 percent hike they are demanding.

Lecturers at Polytechnic in Blantyre are already on strike while Chancellor College in Zomba declared dispute on August 15 this year and gave Unima a 21-day notice.