Malawi army soldiers escort fuel tankers as truck drivers reject new salaries
Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers are now escorting fuel tankers as the strike by truck drivers that has paralyzed transportation of imports and ex[ports enters the third day.
The truck drivers on Tuesday disagreed with the leadership of Truck Drivers Association who negotiated with the government to have salaries for all cargo truck drivers pegged at an average of K60 000 whilst those of fuel tankers pegged at K140 000.
The truck drivers shouted down their representatives who had gone to meet the government team at Capital Hill, including Transport and Public Works minister Ralph Jooma.
Deputy spokesperson for the drivers’ association Lewis Chokani said the representatives sealed the best deal but understood the sentiments of the other truck drivers who rejected the offer.
Chokani said the new salaries was just a starting point as a task force has been forced and mandated to continue negotiating for better pay.
Most filling stations in the Capital City were running low on fuel and Electricity Generation Company (Egenco), the country’s main producer of power, has warned of further load-shedding due to the fuel crisis caused by the truck drivers strike.
Minister of Transport and Public Works Ralph Jooma told reporters that the minimum wage agreed for truck drivers might change as discussions are ongoing.
“We started talking about this issues last week, It is not only salaries issue that they want addressed,” said Jooma.
He said they have instituted a task force to give answers after two weeks.
Truck Drivers Association of Malawi president Richard Jubeki Phiri said they are not happy with the temporary minimum wage but said the meeting with government has given them a flicker of hope that authorities will push transporters to raise salaries for professional truck drivers to te range of K300 000 and K500 000.
Trucks are a major mpde of transportation of goods in landlocked Malawi.
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pepani sizikuyenda
Our army has been reduced to guards because they have nothing to do. Ntambo is away to Addis and when he come back they will have to protect him and his protesters meanwhile they busy escorting fuel trucks.
So this country lizidalira army kuti zinthu ziyende. Tsiku lina akuluakulu mudzayesa ngati tsoka …….
Lidzidalira Army kumene chifukwa cha Anthony odzikonda ngati in.
And why inconvenience other road users by blocking free passage? Uwu ndiye umbuli.
That said, some of you truck owners are, to a great extent, too mean. What can your driver do with K26000 a month. I agree K300,000 is much too much in most cases, but K26,000 abale? Kuba uku.
if you want change, something very important must come to a stop otherwise nothing changes
And by the way what were they discussing with government? Is government their employer? If anything govt through the industrial labor relations court would mediate in their dispute with their employers. Bwana Masud you so on point, 300, 000 ain’t even the entry level salary for someone with a first degree. Give us a break!!!!!!
Malawi timaonjeza, timangofuna anthuazigwira ntchito molimbika but no salaries MK 100,000 uchita nayo chani mmene zintu zikudauliramu. Govt workers must do the same
Druck driving is one of the riskiest jobs in the world and I can’t believe they are paid MK100,000 – MK140,000. It’s only fair to increase their salaries as the owners make so much more anyway. Make sure you include reasonable insurance for these drivers as well.
get my advice, alekereni ma truck awowo azivutika okha. ntchito ikabowa isiye
@ vikhumbo
Such a post is based on shallow understanding of transport economics. Sadly, mutharika has surrounded himself with people who think exactly like you.
@citizenry so ntchito ngati sikukusangalatsa you hang around? quit the job and let the truck owners suffer. what is difficult to understand here
Ungonena Iwe! Ukuona pali nzeru pa zimene wanenazi?
BANANA REPUBLIC AND IT’S READERSHIP AT IT’S BEST MOSOLVENGE MANYASA NDI NTULO TANUTO
Zalowa chisawawa , mwa ma truck drivers ambiri ngosapundzlia koma mpaka K300 ,000 salary ?