Following the announcement of the new minimum wage by the Minister of Finance, the Luanar support, clerical and technical staff embarked on a strike to have their management implement a 10% salary raise, effective this month. A negotiation between the two parties hit a dead end as the staff refused of part payment of the proposed 10% salary increase.

Luanar support, clerical and technical staff have embarked on a strike to force management to effect a 10 percent salary raise this month as announced by Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development when he delivered the 2019/20 National Budget Statement in Parliament in September.

Luanar Workers Union president Steve Maloya said they will not give in to anything until their demand for a pay hike effective this month is honoured, while emphasizing that the  university’s management must harmonise their salaries with those of other public universities. “We need a full salary harmonisation with the University of Malawi [Unima] and other public universities. On top of that, we need the 10 percent increase this month not in March. The academic staff withdrew, but we are continuing with the strike until our demands are met,” he said.

Meanwhile, the situation has seen classes being cancelled, as students are concerned that the strike could result into the university’s closure, if unresolved.