The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) workers union has given the government until the end of this week to respond to their request of a salary increment failing which the union is threatening nationwide strikes.
The union wants government to rescind the decision which it issued through the Comptroller of statutory corporations forbidding all statutory corporations from effecting any salary increments in light of the prevailing economic challenges.
Escom management, the union and the government have since last week been engaged in several meetings to address the issue.
Escom Workers Union Secretary General, Joseph Kamwendo, said the union, through its employer, is asking the government to rescind its decision.
“The economy is currently fragile, interest rates are high, buying power of the workers has gone down. It is therefore, only proper that our increment be effected.
“What we are demanding from the government is that whatever we bargained for should be given to us. It is the board of directors of Escom who have the final say on our increment and not the Controller,” said Kamwendo.
He said the employees expect the government to respond to their demands by the end of this week.
“What we have given the government is not an ultimatum, it is just our position, but if we do not agree then we will go by the remedies that we have in the law which gives us a right to declare a dispute.
“We expect the government to meet our demands within the week, if they don’t, then we have no option but to declare a dispute. If the dispute is not resolved, then we will go into an industrial action,” he said.
Kamwendo further said the employees will follow the normal channel which every employee is entitled to.
“In fact, what we could have done by now was to declare a dispute but we know we are in social service that is why we are giving the government a chance to get back to us.
“If we go into an industrial action, we will always put up a press statement to notify the public that our members will stop working and the machines will stop working which will result in nationwide blackouts. But we are optimistic that the issue will be resolved and will not reach that extent,” said Kamwendo.
On what percentage the workers are looking for, he said it’s far from what has been in the public domain.
“These are contractual issues and we would not want to be publicising the percentages. But it is very reasonable considering the economic situation and its far from what the papers have been writing, its far less than 35 percent,” said Kamwendo.
Escom publicist, Kitty Chingota, has since confirmed receipt of the grievances and she said the petition has been forwarded to relevant government authorities. But she said she could not divulge more details on the matter.
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