Malawi shop workers strike over wages

Shop workers in Malawi’s  commercial city Blantyre on Monday started a stay away strike  that seeks to push their employees especially Asians, Nigerians, Chinese and Lebanese to hike their monthly salaries.

Shops closed in Limbe
Shops closed in Limbe

Business in Limbe town where there are more shops was on standstill as they remained shut after workers refused to open citing exploitative wages.

Workers are demanding a monthly salary increase of over 100% and better working conditions.

Nyasa Times reports that the strike has taken on a xenophobic character, with workers categorising the action as “a huge industrial strike that seeks to push their employees especially Asians, Nigerians, Chinese and Lebanese to hike their monthly salaries.”

Shop worker said they are tired of the meager salaries they get from Asian shop owners saying it does not tarry with the current high cost of living .

‘We are really suffering and I can say that we are the lowest paid and abused workers in the country,’ said a worker for an Asian hardware shop.

The workers allege that their employees have been telling them to just quit the job whenever they are approached to consider them raising their salaries which range between MK15000 and K25, 000 per month to the lowest and highest paid workers respectively.

At the moment, the minimum pay for the shop workers is pegged at between K5 000 ($11) and K6 000 (about $14) per week without housing allowance.

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DR DRE
DR DRE
9 years ago

angathandize anthu ndani poti wothandizayoso akamudyesa banzi basi amaukila ma employees ati kuvuta awo ndiye ma union apa malawi

Zaya
9 years ago

Kungoti dzikoli likusowa atsogoleli anzeru mwina titayesa achinyamata

mery julius
9 years ago

kungoti dziko lathuli likusowa mtsogoleli wanzeru zaumunthu .Kunakakhala kuti President walamula kuti onse omwe ali ndimakampani akweze malipiro aantchito awo apo bii ngati sakufuna achoke mdziko muno bwenzi atachoka kalekale.Koma vuto ndiloti atsogoleri athuwa kukonda money too much through Tax kuiwala nazo amene anawaika pampando.

mtibu
mtibu
9 years ago

it’s time for malawians to wake up and take over,we’ve bn inactive for so long,lets join hands and open up own businesses to employ our fellow malawians and pay them better than this.dziko wathu ndalamaso akhale wathu

Kapolo wa Mwenye
Kapolo wa Mwenye
9 years ago

The shop workers and domestic workers that are employed by the Malawian Indians are paid better than what our fellow Malawians are paying they pay us close to K15,000 per month minimum plus housing allowance

True Malawian
9 years ago

The person you interview about being paid k5000week have been to work place find out what gets per month and what he gets so pls finds the facts then report as I know most of the works are getting more than what’s there agree on that’s why u see there stirikings worker s where not workers but thieves who where looking for opertuinest so pls report the facts thank you

DPG
DPG
9 years ago
Reply to  True Malawian

First of all try to make sense in your posting. Are you conversant with the queens language? To me you sound like the foreign bosses of these exploited local workers.

CY
CY
9 years ago

You have mentioned there buying car’s like jinga that means your Nbanva do you know what it takes a person to be a boss that’s why you will remain poor for rest of your life. Stop saying Malawians are suffering in hands of foreigners is akunama a real Malawian suffers a fellow Malawian than does people you call foreigners. Every day people are going around ma funa Nchito don’t your so called fellow Malawian see them and employ them to them k50000 per month so that those people you called foreigners will learn from their… B4 saying your Ndrama is… Read more »

kajedza
kajedza
9 years ago

All commentators- how much are you paying the maid whom you brought from your village-peanuts- shame. Do you know minimum wages are 14,350-00 per month

kajedza
kajedza
9 years ago

5,000 and 6,000-00- Nyasa times – pls dont lie. Check the annual agreements that are signed by the employees representative and employers representative. It is much much higher than the minimum wages fixed by the government

Phiri
Phiri
9 years ago

how its possible bcz last time it was agreed to pay 18600
And we people are paying that
They all are lying

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