Editorial: The Case For A 100 Percent Minimum Wage Increment
Malawi Congress of Trade Union’s (MCTU) proposal to double the minimum wage from K90,000 to K180,000 is not only justified—it is long overdue. In fact, to argue otherwise would be to endorse the slow, grinding poverty that has shackled the lives of thousands of Malawian workers.
The cost of living in Malawi has spiraled out of control, rendering the current minimum wage not only inadequate but insulting. How can anyone survive on K90,000 per month when the price of a 50kg bag of maize—the country’s staple food—now exceeds K100,000? How can families meet the demands of rent, transport, healthcare, and education on wages that have remained stagnant while inflation continues to erode their purchasing power?
The data speaks for itself. The Centre for Social Concern (CfSC) reports that the average monthly cost of living for a family of six rose to K578,843 in January 2025. This means that a worker earning the current minimum wage would need six months’ pay just to cover one month’s basic expenses. This is not just economic injustice—it is a humanitarian crisis.
Yet, despite these glaring realities, the government’s 2025/26 National Budget presentation made no mention of revising the minimum wage or tax-free band. This silence is deafening. While civil servants have been granted a 20 percent salary increase, the majority of private sector workers remain trapped in poverty wages. The government’s failure to act amounts to a betrayal of the working class—the backbone of the nation’s economy.
The opposition to raising the minimum wage will undoubtedly come from employers who will claim that businesses cannot afford it. But this tired argument ignores the fact that the same businesses continue to record profits while workers are barely surviving. Economic growth that does not translate into improved livelihoods is hollow development.
Moreover, higher wages do not only benefit workers—they stimulate the economy. When workers have more disposable income, they spend more on goods and services, boosting demand and driving growth. Poverty wages, on the other hand, stifle economic activity and perpetuate a cycle of misery.
MCTU’s call for price controls on essential commodities must also be taken seriously. The rampant price increases on basic goods are not solely driven by market forces but by greed and exploitation. Government intervention is necessary to protect consumers from unscrupulous traders who are profiting from the suffering of the poor.
The time for half-measures and empty promises is over. Malawi’s working class has been patient for far too long. A 100 percent increase in the minimum wage is not just a demand—it is a moral imperative. The government must urgently convene the tripartite labour advisory council meeting and listen to the voices of workers who are crying out for dignity and fairness.
To ignore this plea would be to condemn thousands of Malawians to perpetual poverty. To act now would be to take a bold step towards a more equitable and just society.
It is time to put people before profits. It is time to give Malawian workers what they deserve.
