City councils to hike staff salaries

Blantyre and Lilongwe city councils have bowed down to their employees’ demands for salary adjustments in an effort to avert strikes that the workers had threatened to stage.

Local Government Employees Unions members comprising Blantyre and Lilongwe city council workers, resolved to demand salary increments from their employers during a meeting held in Liwonde, Machinga recently.

Following the meeting, Lilongwe City Council workers wrote management demanding a salary increment by December 19 2014 or face a strike.

In a telephone interview on Friday director of finance and administrations at the council, Dyton Milanzie, said the council has agreed to increase salaries for its workers.

“In principle the mayor and the chief executive have agreed with the proposal to increase the salaries…What is remaining is to work out the percentages,” he said.

Blantyre City Council spokesperson Anthony Kasunda said the council has also reached an agreement with its workers union.

“As far as Blantyre City Council is concerned, the issue of salaries was discussed with members of the workers union chaired by Soulister Kambeta and an agreement was reached. As we speak, it is a closed matter,” he said.

Sources at both Lilongwe and Blantyre city councils said wage bills for both institutions stand at about K64 million (around $128 000) a month.