Road construction workers down tools over pay

Malawian workers who are constructing the Thabwa-Livuzu-Fatima road in the Lower Shire have downed tools demanding pay rise and reinstatement of bonus among others.

The workers are demanding a 100 per cent pay rise.

A foreman at the construction site claimed he used to get K130,000 a month but the salary is now reduced to K89000 a month after a monthly bonus was scrapped off without any explanation.

“Just imagine, we are now told to buy construction protective gear, our employers deduct days we are not reporting for duties due to illness and we are also working without signed contracts,” said the worker.

China Railways are the contractors of the road.

Human Resources officer for the company Aubrey Lokote said the company is in talks with the workers on the issues raised.

“We have told them to go back to work as the negotiations continue. If they fail to go back to work, we will have no option but to fire them,” said Lokote.

But the workers have threatened to sabotage the construction of the road if they are fired.

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