BY RACHEL MPHEPO
Teachers Union of Malawi (Tum) and the government have differed on of teachers’ arrears.
A statement signed on Friday by Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Principal Secretary, Justin Saidi, and his Local Government and Rural Development counterpart, Kiswell Dakamau, said during a meeting with Tum executive on June 20, it was noted that teachers in three districts have already received their arrears.
The statement added that 12 districts have already processed the arrears for this month’s salaries.
However, Tum General Secretary, Charles Kumchenga, said he had not received any report from teachers in any district on the matter.
“I believe that arrears are attached to salaries, so there is no district which has started receiving salaries. There is nowhere in the country where anyone has received arrears of any kind this month,” Kumchenga said.
He added that if teachers had started receiving the payments, he would know the same day since they have structures at all levels.
“We have structures in our districts as well as our divisions. Therefore, whenever teachers start receiving their arrears or salaries, definitely we are going to get the information on the same day. So as of now, there is nobody who has fed us with any information of any kind on the arrears. That is why we will opt not to comment any further on this matter until there is something concrete,” Kumchenga said
The issue of teachers’ arrears has been a bone of contention for a long time with Tum threatening to order a nationwide strike for their members as a way of forcing the government to conclude the matter.
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