Limbe back to business as shop workers get pay increase

It’s now business as usual in the Limbe central business district (CBD) in Blantyre after shop owners agreed to raise wages for their staff who had earlier staged a sit-in  strike pushing  their employees especially Asians, Nigerians, Chinese,  Lebanese,  Tanzanian, Rwandans and Burundi nationals to hike their monthly salaries.

The wages have gone up by 25 percent for the lowest paid and 10 percent for the highest paid.

The workers’ monthly housing allowance has also been raised from K4 000 ($8) to K6 000 ($13) whereas bereavement allowance, paid when an employee’s relation dies, has been increased from K20 000 ($43) to K30 000 ($65) with immediate effect.

Limbe Workers Representative Union president Joseph Jana said they are “happy” that most of their demands were addressed.

Altaf Muhammad, a representative of the shop owners, confirmed that an agreement has been reached that a wage increment is expected to be effected in May every year.