Truck drivers agree to end strike
Truck drivers have promised to end the ongoing strike that paralysed transportation of imports and exports after reaching a consensus with government and transporters on the minimum salary for drivers for different categories.
The agreement has been signed Wednesday evening after a meeting at the Ministry of Transport and Public Works Conference room at Capital Hill in Lilongwe.
On Tuesday, after a five hour heated discussion at the same venue, an agreement was made that a minimum of K60 000 be effected for ordinary truck drivers and K140 000 for fuel tanker drivers.
But as Nyasa Times reported on Wednesday, the truck drivers rejected this pay hind on the ground that the K60 000 was a general salary for those driving small vehicles and they demanded that the figure be pushed to K100 000.
The agreement has since been amended to include the K100 000 monthly minimum pay for those driving dry cargo in above 30 tonne trucks.
Minister of Transport and Public Works Ralph Jooma said he was happy that the parties reached a consensus on minimum wage.
“This will now put matters to rest by now,” he said.
For the past three days, over a thousand trucks were off the country’s roads in a nationwide strike by the Truck Drivers Association of Malawi (TDM) who demanded a 300 percent pay hike.
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Bravo to Truck Drivers Association for ending the strike. Another 2 or 3 days more Malawi would have collapsed. Truck owners please treat your drivers humanely. Truck drivers with this agreed minimum please, please stop siphoning fuel and selling brand new tyres & replacing them with second hand ones for your boss will be in a tight corner if you continue stealing from him/her. Make it a win-win situation for both of you. Government, this is a wake up call for landlocked Malawi. Let’s rehabilitate our rail system and think of constructing a fuel pipeline from the nearest port to… Read more »
Anthu apanga ma billion from a system that has costed miyoyo yambiri and congested our roads (trucks and minibuses). It’s high time the country’s investment plans be based on trains and buses. For such would be a more cleaner transport system than it is now. A Bakili multparty wawo anachulusa ma ufulu omasuka kwambiri anaononga zinthu zina zabwino zomwe zinakhazikidwa. Trucks and minibuses should go, it’s time we get to have, safe and convenient modes of transport. Business should be handled at fixed times osati zokokera chifukwa chochedwa ndi zina…
Ifenso mutinvere. Jane Ansah achoke
Have they agreed to stop siphoning fuel from their bosses trucks
That is the way to go round table and reach an agreement, bravo truck drivers please push for your survival.
Uku ndekukhalatu uku.Ma citizens omvetsa zinthu kkk
Please revamp the railway system of transport. Nacala corridor and the Liwonde Dry port is the best way to resolve this problem. By the way, k25000 for a truck driver was inhuman.
I concur with you on this one. This is more cheaper. These trucks should ferry goods within, thereby reducing accidents caused by drivers’ fatigue.