Strikes won’t increase pay—JB

In her first public reaction to ongoing strikes at Mzuzu University (Mzuni) and some constituent colleges of the University of Malawi (Unima), President Joyce Banda on Sunday disclosed she had summoned Minister of Education Eunice Kazembe to brief her on the strikes.

She also said only dialogue and understanding between employers and workers can save the country’s economy as it recovers, instead of people opting for strikes.

“The civil servants demanded almost 67 percent from government, but we could only afford 21 percent after dialogue. We came to an understanding and agreement. Even if we promise what everybody wants, the reality is that there is no money and only dialogue and understanding will move us forward,” said Banda during a news conference on arrival from a Sadc summit in Maputo, Mozambique.

The following is feedback from the people:

 

No point

There is no point of saying that there should be dialogue because the budget came after devaluation. The President should have known better when she was devaluing our currency that such things happen.

More [challenges] are still to come. Government has a supplementary budget where they will give people increment.  —Mashanie

 

 

Not true

Actually, what the President is saying is not true. I have only two questions:

(1) Are the people going to her party so that they get money for their move?

(2) Lecturers are the people that improve our education standards; how can she say there is no money when she is travelling up and down? Please note that the minimum wage is K317 per day for all employment sectors which translates to K9 510 per month effective July 1 2012. —Senior civil servant.

 

A joke

To refuse to increase salaries is a joke coming from a President who recently, when she was in the opposition, talked a lot about the wellbeing of a common person. —Anonymous

 

Not right

I am a parent of a child who completed his secondary education in 2010.  He has since been selected to Chancellor College.  From a parent’s point of view, what is happening in our [public] universities is not right.  One would have thought that after academic freedom was granted, students would now go to school. But, alas, something else has happened.

If it is the question of government sponsorship, let the parents whose children went to private schools pay for their tuition and put those that come from the villages on government sponsorship.  Nowhere in the world is university education cheap. 

Please, we are tired of anticipating when things will go back to normal.  Let us give our children the right to their education.  Not everybody has much money to send their children abroad.  Let us invest in our children’s education.  The first-years have suffered for two years now.  Let us build an educated generation.  This is the only country we have. —Parent

 

Drawing the line

Previously, it was the fight for academic freedom, now it is the fight for increments, next, it will be a fight for housing or transport allowance or something else.

I do not say that the staff at the universities and colleges should not fight for their rights, but what about the rights of our children?  For three years we have been watching students failing to start or conclude their college education for one reason or another. If we are developing the nation, who are we developing to run that nation because we need to pass on the baton? We will not live forever!

Parents paid for housing when they were told that students would be back in session. Then, abruptly, the start of the semester was cancelled because of strikes and the like. Our generation is being very selfish because we are not leaving an inheritance for our grandchildren. We may not have much, but offering a child the opportunity for an education could prevent the continuation of Malawians living in poverty! There are parents who are willing to sacrifice their resources to enable their child to obtain a college education. Give bursaries and scholarships to those who are really in need and do not make it another excuse to stop educating the students.

If we are not careful, we will not only remain a “developing” nation, but we will have nothing to show for it because the greatest development in a country is that of human resource! Malawi, where are our ministers, managers and workforce, if not in these children? Wisdom and little means is better than wealth and no powers of discretion! —LN

 

 

On border issue

Why hold discussion in closed doors? The President said government will keep Malawians informed at every step on this lake issue. If Malawians and Tanzanians are one, why not share it?
—Anonymous

 

In her first public reaction to ongoing strikes at Mzuzu University (Mzuni) and some constituent colleges of the University of Malawi (Unima), President Joyce Banda on Sunday disclosed she had summoned Minister of Education Eunice Kazembe to brief her on the strikes.

She also said only dialogue and understanding between employers and workers can save the country’s economy as it recovers, instead of people opting for strikes.

“The civil servants demanded almost 67 percent from government, but we could only afford 21 percent after dialogue. We came to an understanding and agreement. Even if we promise what everybody wants, the reality is that there is no money and only dialogue and understanding will move us forward,” said Banda during a news conference on arrival from a Sadc summit in Maputo, Mozambique.

The following is feedback from the people:

 

No point

There is no point of saying that there should be dialogue because the budget came after devaluation. The President should have known better when she was devaluing our currency that such things happen.

More [challenges] are still to come. Government has a supplementary budget where they will give people increment.  —Mashanie

 

 

Not true

Actually, what the President is saying is not true. I have only two questions:

(1) Are the people going to her party so that they get money for their move?

(2) Lecturers are the people that improve our education standards; how can she say there is no money when she is travelling up and down? Please note that the minimum wage is K317 per day for all employment sectors which translates to K9 510 per month effective July 1 2012. —Senior civil servant.

 

A joke

To refuse to increase salaries is a joke coming from a President who recently, when she was in the opposition, talked a lot about the wellbeing of a common person. —Anonymous

 

Not right

I am a parent of a child who completed his secondary education in 2010.  He has since been selected to Chancellor College.  From a parent’s point of view, what is happening in our [public] universities is not right.  One would have thought that after academic freedom was granted, students would now go to school. But, alas, something else has happened.

If it is the question of government sponsorship, let the parents whose children went to private schools pay for their tuition and put those that come from the villages on government sponsorship.  Nowhere in the world is university education cheap. 

Please, we are tired of anticipating when things will go back to normal.  Let us give our children the right to their education.  Not everybody has much money to send their children abroad.  Let us invest in our children’s education.  The first-years have suffered for two years now.  Let us build an educated generation.  This is the only country we have. —Parent

 

Drawing the line

Previously, it was the fight for academic freedom, now it is the fight for increments, next, it will be a fight for housing or transport allowance or something else.

I do not say that the staff at the universities and colleges should not fight for their rights, but what about the rights of our children?  For three years we have been watching students failing to start or conclude their college education for one reason or another. If we are developing the nation, who are we developing to run that nation because we need to pass on the baton? We will not live forever!

Parents paid for housing when they were told that students would be back in session. Then, abruptly, the start of the semester was cancelled because of strikes and the like. Our generation is being very selfish because we are not leaving an inheritance for our grandchildren. We may not have much, but offering a child the opportunity for an education could prevent the continuation of Malawians living in poverty! There are parents who are willing to sacrifice their resources to enable their child to obtain a college education. Give bursaries and scholarships to those who are really in need and do not make it another excuse to stop educating the students.

If we are not careful, we will not only remain a “developing” nation, but we will have nothing to show for it because the greatest development in a country is that of human resource! Malawi, where are our ministers, managers and workforce, if not in these children? Wisdom and little means is better than wealth and no powers of discretion! —LN

 

 

On border issue

Why hold discussion in closed doors? The President said government will keep Malawians informed at every step on this lake issue. If Malawians and Tanzanians are one, why not share it?
—Anonymous

 

n her first public reaction to ongoing strikes at Mzuzu University (Mzuni) and some constituent colleges of the University of Malawi (Unima), President Joyce Banda on Sunday disclosed she had summoned Minister of Education Eunice Kazembe to brief her on the strikes.

She also said only dialogue and understanding between employers and workers can save the country’s economy as it recovers, instead of people opting for strikes.

“The civil servants demanded almost 67 percent from government, but we could only afford 21 percent after dialogue. We came to an understanding and agreement. Even if we promise what everybody wants, the reality is that there is no money and only dialogue and understanding will move us forward,” said Banda during a news conference on arrival from a Sadc summit in Maputo, Mozambique.

The following is feedback from the people:

 

No point

There is no point of saying that there should be dialogue because the budget came after devaluation. The President should have known better when she was devaluing our currency that such things happen.

More [challenges] are still to come. Government has a supplementary budget where they will give people increment.  —Mashanie

 

 

Not true

Actually, what the President is saying is not true. I have only two questions:

(1) Are the people going to her party so that they get money for their move?

(2) Lecturers are the people that improve our education standards; how can she say there is no money when she is travelling up and down? Please note that the minimum wage is K317 per day for all employment sectors which translates to K9 510 per month effective July 1 2012. —Senior civil servant.

 

A joke

To refuse to increase salaries is a joke coming from a President who recently, when she was in the opposition, talked a lot about the wellbeing of a common person. —Anonymous

 

Not right

I am a parent of a child who completed his secondary education in 2010.  He has since been selected to Chancellor College.  From a parent’s point of view, what is happening in our [public] universities is not right.  One would have thought that after academic freedom was granted, students would now go to school. But, alas, something else has happened.

If it is the question of government sponsorship, let the parents whose children went to private schools pay for their tuition and put those that come from the villages on government sponsorship.  Nowhere in the world is university education cheap. 

Please, we are tired of anticipating when things will go back to normal.  Let us give our children the right to their education.  Not everybody has much money to send their children abroad.  Let us invest in our children’s education.  The first-years have suffered for two years now.  Let us build an educated generation.  This is the only country we have. —Parent

 

Drawing the line

Previously, it was the fight for academic freedom, now it is the fight for increments, next, it will be a fight for housing or transport allowance or something else.

I do not say that the staff at the universities and colleges should not fight for their rights, but what about the rights of our children?  For three years we have been watching students failing to start or conclude their college education for one reason or another. If we are developing the nation, who are we developing to run that nation because we need to pass on the baton? We will not live forever!

Parents paid for housing when they were told that students would be back in session. Then, abruptly, the start of the semester was cancelled because of strikes and the like. Our generation is being very selfish because we are not leaving an inheritance for our grandchildren. We may not have much, but offering a child the opportunity for an education could prevent the continuation of Malawians living in poverty! There are parents who are willing to sacrifice their resources to enable their child to obtain a college education. Give bursaries and scholarships to those who are really in need and do not make it another excuse to stop educating the students.

If we are not careful, we will not only remain a “developing” nation, but we will have nothing to show for it because the greatest development in a country is that of human resource! Malawi, where are our ministers, managers and workforce, if not in these children? Wisdom and little means is better than wealth and no powers of discretion! —LN

 

 

On border issue

Why hold discussion in closed doors? The President said government will keep Malawians informed at every step on this lake issue. If Malawians and Tanzanians are one, why not share it?
—Anonymous