Shop assistants on strike in Mzuzu over low wages

Workers in shops owned by foreigners in Mzuzu have gone on strike to force their employers raise monthly salary.

The striking workers are mainly from Burundian and Chinese shops.

The workers say they get K15, 000 a month instead of the recommended minimum wage of K30,000 per month.

A representative of the workers Ramsey Chirwa said the workers have said they will not return to work until their monthly salaries are reviewed to meet the rising cost of living in the country.

“We will only open the shops after our demands are met,” said Chirwa.

He said Malawians of Indian origin will open their shops since they are the ones that have agreed to their demand.

Representative of shop owners, proprietor of Bano Hardware and Construction, Ash Rashij Bano, said the employees’ salary concern is genuine and that a minimum wage of K34, 200 will be effective January next year (2020).

“We have understood their complaints. As Malawians of India origin, we accept that somewhere there were problems,” said Rashij.

There was no immediate comment from shop owners.