Malawi prison junior officers to down tools over risk allowances, promotions

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Junior officers of the Malawi Prison Services have threatened to take industrial action following the failure by the government to address their concerns, Maravi Post has learnt.

According to a letter addressed to the prison department authorities, the junior officers are among others demanding risk allowances and promotions.

“We write to inform you that following the failure by the government to address our concerns which ranges from issues of promotions, risk allowances, nepotism, unfair dismissals and many others, we have resolved to take the above mentioned industrial action (sit-in),” the letter reads in part.

The prison authorities are yet to comment on the matter.

Last year, the junior staff also threatened to take industrial action after they were sidelined in the mass promotions in the civil service but their authorities reminded them that it is in contravention of the laws of Malawi for uniformed staff to engage industrial action.

Maneno Chimulala

I am a journalist, educator, and activist with passion for telling stories about social justice, sports and political issues. I graduated from Mzuzu University. I started my career at the Maravi Post online publication in 2012 as an intern while in college. Upon graduating from Mzuzu University I was offered a job as Sports Reporter because of my background as a goalkeeper and rose to the position of sub editor. I also had a short stint with Nyasatimes, Malawi Punch and Malawi Digest. Over the past seven years, I have worked intimately with rural organizations and communities in Malawi on human rights, girl child education and grassroots development projects. With an academic background in education, I also volunteer as male champion for girls’ education under Girls Empowerment Networks (GENET) in Malawi’s South West Education Division (SWED).