Polytechnic lecturers to join Chanco strike

Lecturers at the Malawi Polytechnic, a constituent college of the University of Malawi (Unima) have resolved to down their tools by July 1 2017 this year to join their counterparts from Chancellor College in pushing authorities to give in to their demands for salary harmonisation within the University.

But reliable inside sources—who are also members of Pascow, confirmed the plan by Polytechnic lecturers to join the strike. However, Polytechnic Staff Committee on Welfare (Pascow) president Abel Mwanyungwe was non-committal on the matter.

The lecturers claim that their colleagues from College of Medicine (CoM) have been getting about 40 percent more than their counterparts in other Unima constituent colleges of Chancellor College, The Polytechnic and Kamuzu College of Nursing since 1991 when CoM was established.

Chancellor College failed to open on March 20 this year following a sit by lecturers who are protesting salary disparities among staff of similar grades with their counterparts at CoM.

The plan by the Polytechnic lectures comes as all efforts to resolve the impasse surrounding the closure of the Chancellor College proves ineffective as both the Unima Council and the Chanco lecturers refuse to agree on either side’s proposals.