Paladin drivers down tools at Malawi mine
Senior members of staff at the uranium mine, Kayelekera in Karonga were Tuesday morning forced to walk to work after drivers refused to pick them up over vehicle management disagreement.
Some of the drivers said in an interview that management had brought in strict and unbearable measures in a bid to stop illegal siphoning of fuel from company vehicles.
Paladin, an Australian firm runs the Kayelekera Uranium mine in northern district of Karonga which is partly closed down because, Paladin say, uranium prices have slumped on the market.
“These are draconian rules. Management just want to make our job difficult,” said one driver who refused to be named for fear of dismissal from his job.
Paladin general manager Gred Walker could not immediately comment.
However, a source at the company said some of the drivers have been selling fuel siphoned from the company vehicles.
The source said the new rules are meant to curb the malpractice, saying most companies have a set of rules that check illegal siphoning of fuel from company vehicle fuel tanks.
Senior members of staff, who live away from the mining site, are picked up in coaster vehicles every working day morning and are dropped each evening. The senior staff members include those from South Africa, Namibia and Malawi.
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The issue here is chronic fuel theft by people who don’t value their job
or their employer. They are taught by the example set by the most senior people in government. This will decrease the liklihood of anyone else from outside ever wanting to invest in our country. Is it Paladin’s fault that they have so many theives for employees? Most of these people say they are church-goers. What a shame. If you were an employer and you discovered your employees were stealing fuel…. What would you do?? Hand them another jerry can?
If every minister, member of parliament, CEOs, Directors/Chairmen of NGOs, Business owners, Famers were to employ drivers each, how many people would be working? Employment must be created and drivers are partly one way of unemployment response strategy.
Whoever is has 3 cars must employ at least one driver – this must be in our policies, we see you driving alone, we will fine you, mukutha ntchito za anthu ena. Bwana must be driven to and from work.
Each of these drivers was stealing more than 50 liters of diesel everyday.They are big people financially.
point of collection Greg walker anasiya kugwila ntchito ku paladin mu july ndiye inu mukunena Greg wake uti ? kumafusa kaye zinthuzi otherwise muzionongelapo mbiri.
Paladin again!!!!!!
Considering that Paladin is almost closing, let it take advantage of the striking to fire all these baseless laying down of tools drivers and just employe two. In this way, the company at one point in future will get lid of all the employees. Wake up Greg.
What a shameless bunch of morons, have some common decency to hide your pathetic tendance. When the entity finally face liquidity and leave you jobless you will be the first ones to accuse the government of failing to create employment. Typical of Malawians
Even here in RSA when you enter into a shop to buy some commodities and the shop happens to have a Malawian amongst it’s employees they always offer to siphon some goods as if we some body hinted that all of us are thieves.
We do not need too many drivers. One or two are enough. Managers can drive and pick their friends.
Government too should lay off some drivers. Senior managers can drive. SOne secretaries too should be released. A good number of government employees are computer literate.
Services of watchmen and cleaners be outsourced.
Government can save lots of resources.
If the whole government machinery is corrupt how do u think we drivers to survive. Why aren’t the head the multimillionaire APM be contented with what he claims he made during his teaching career. We know the nature of lectures do not cheat us as if USA is heaven. Mbanva in mudziwaso zaka zikubweraz no mpata ndipo mudzanyera magazi ndikusirira.
Let’s be realistic. Kodi kuba m’mkwabwino? The drivers must be fired