What is Minimum Wage

Minimum Wage in Malawi

As in many other countries, Minimum Wage has played a crucial role in Malawi in determining salary and wages in workplaces. The Minimum Wage has been set for a number of reasons, but primarily to improve the living conditions of workers.

Malawi’s Employment Act of 2000, part VII section 54 says Minimum Wage is the level at which the minimum salary or wages should be paid. Thus anyone paying below this set wage is contravening the law and is subject to prosecution under the laws of Malawi.

The Employment Act 2000 says in Section 55-(1) on abatement of Minimum Wages set under section 54 that they shall not be subject to abatement provided that collective agreements may provide for wages which exceed the Minimum Wages.

The Employment Act 2000 says in Section 55-(2) that any employer who pays wages in contravention of subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of 50,000 Malawi Kwacha and to imprisonment for 10 years.

Consultation

The Employment Act 2000 says on the setting of Minimum Wages in section 54 -- (1) that if the Minister of Labour is of the opinion that it is expedient to fix the Minimum Wages of any group of wage earners, shall consult with organisations of workers and employers relevant to that group of wage earners (among them the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) and the Employers Consultative Association of Malawi) as to the appropriate level of Minimum Wage to be prescribed.

According to MCTU, the Minimum Wage review is based on rural, urban and national inflation.

The Employment Act further says that the Minister of Labour may, after the consultations referred to in subsection (1), publish in the Gazette a wages order prescribing the Minimum Wages to be paid to the group of wage earners to which such wages order applies.

Considerations

According to Section 54 (3) of the Employment Act 2000, in prescribing Minimum Wages, the Minister shall, as far as possible, consider: The needs of workers and their families, the general level of wages, the cost of living, social security benefits and the relative living standards of other social groups.

Economic factors, including the requirements of economic development, levels of productivity and any effect the wage might have on employment.

Minimum Wages levels

In Section 54 (4) the Employment Act says the minister shall, in consultation with representative organisations of workers and employers, as mentioned above, reconsider the levels of Minimum Wages at least once every three years and that the minister shall consult with representative organisations of workers and employers at any time he is of the opinion that the procedure for setting wages set out in this section should in any way be modified.

Chichewa version

Malipiro osachepera omwe munthu amalandira ku Malawi Monga dziko lina lililonse malipiro osachepera omwe anthu amalandira pogwira ntchito ndi ofunika kwambiri.

Chibukhu chowona za anthu a ntchito chomwe mchingerezi chimatchedwa Employment Act cha 2000, chikuti malipiro ali ndi mulingo umene unapangidwa kuti anthu apindule komanso kusangalala pa moyo wawo wa tsiku ndi tsiku.

Mulingo umenewu malingana ndi Employment Act ndime 54, umapangidwa ndi cholinga choti anthu apindule ndi mabanja awo komanso kuti anthu athe kukhala moyo wabwino komanso kukwanitsa kugula zakudya, zovala ndi zina zotero. Umapangidwatso powona kusitha kwa za chuma komanso kagwiridwe ka ntchito ka anthu.

Chibukhuchi chikuti olemba ntchito amene amalephera kukwaniritsa mulingo umene wakhazikitsidwa polipira ndalama, akuphwanya lamulo ndipo kotero akuyenera kulandira chilango.

Mulingo wamalipiro a ndalama mu Employment Act 2000 ndime ya 54 (1) ikuti nduna ya zantchito ndiyo ili ndi udindo wokonza mulingo wa malipiridwe a ndalama komanso zimenezi zimabwera posatira kafukufuku ndi mabungwe ena wowona za anthu wogwira ntchito monga a Malawi Congress of Trade Union (MCTU) ndi Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (Ecama).

Mu Employment Act mulibe ndondomeko yeniyeni yomwe amayendera posindikiza mulingo umenewu koma malingana ndi a MCTU, mulingo umenewu amapanga poyang’ana Madera a mutawuni komanso ku midzi.

Chibukhu chimenechi cha Employment Act 2000 chikuti nduna ikagwirizana ndi mabungwe a anthu ogwira ntchito iyenera kusindikiza mulingo umenewu mu gazette kuti wolemba anthu ntchito ayambe kuugwiritsa ntchito.

Komanso ndunayi iyenera kukumana ndi mabungwe wowona za anthu ogwira ntchito kamodzi pa zaka zitatu kuti awunika mulingo wa malipiridwe a ndalama za anthu wogwira ntchito.

Chibunkhu cha Employment Act 2000 mu ndime 55(2) chikuti wolemba ntchito aliyense amene alephera kulipira a ntchito awo monga mwa mulingo womwe wakonzedwa akuphwanya lamulo kotero kuti akuyenera kumangidwa kwa zaka khumi kapena kulipira chi ndapusa cha K50,000.