Lilongwe City Workers down tools over pay hike demand

Lilongwe City workers Monday downed tools for what they claim to be impunity and selfishness by the city executive management as they gave themselves a whopping 68% and only 40% for the already lowly paid ground workers.

To make matters worse, the workers claim that the executives are already getting their high perks while the workers have not yet been given the 40% they were promised to be effected last January.

“We are tired of empty promises by our bosses, they promised us that we would get our 40% end of January but up to now nothing has happened while the bosses themselves who are already getting fat salaries on top of their other benefits, such as cars, houses, fuels and many more, are already receiving the new pays,” complained one city worker who declined to be named for obvious reasons.

The workers, who began their action in Old Town at the City Town Hall, blocked entrances to the Old Town premises with tree branches and garbage before proceeding to the City Centre where the Civic Offices are situated and also blocked entrances to the Civic Offices with tree branches before a sit in.

Public Relations Officer for the Lilongwe City Assembly, Tamala Chafunya, said she could not comment much on the issue since discussions were still under way at the Ministry’s headquarters at Capital Hill.

“It is difficult for me to say much on the issue since discussions are under way at Capital Hill. Let us wait for the resolution from Ministry,” she said.

Pressed further on the claim that the executive gave themselves a huge percentage and are already getting their high salary, Chafunya said she needed input of management on the issue.

Addressing the workers at the Civic Offices later, the Union leader, a Mr Mwanza told the workers that the Minister of Local Government had accepted their demands that the new salaries be effected immediately.

“The Minister has accepted our demands and that this month we will get our new salary but there could be a little delay because of logistics but we will get it with arrears from January, 2015,” Mwanza told the pregnant crowd.

However, the workers demanded that the Union team go back to the Minister and get a letter promising them what he had said and not only word of mouth.

Lilongwe City Centre MP, David Bisnowaty, who is at the centre of the matter in trying to find an amicable solution to both parties, said the matter has already been resolved.

“The matter is already resolved, we are going back only to bring a letter on the matter for the workers to believe what the Minister is saying.” he told LINA.

The workers demanded the appearance of the Chief Executive himself to address them but the Union leaders explained that it was difficult to bring him to speak to them because they know the matter was sensitive and many of the workers might not behaved well in his presence because they are angry with the city management. – LINA.

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