Workers at Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) Head Office in Limbe are calling for dismissal of their management on grounds of “failure to properly run the corporation and improve their working conditions.”
The demands were made yesterday, after the workers downed their tools as one way of forcing management to increase their salaries and improve their conditions of service.
Patrick Makunganya, who works as a security guard, said he gets a monthly salary of K28,000, which, he said, does not reflect on the economic situation on the ground.
“What they are giving us here is the pocket money for their children, imagine I get K28,000 per month and I have got four children. What am I going to do with that money? We have been approaching them [management] to raise our salaries but they do not listen. This time we want the President [Peter Mutharika] himself to hear that we don’t want these managers. They are just exploiting us and they are not helping him. They should go,” Makunganya said.
Another employee, John Hassan, accused management of suppressing junior workers by forcing them to work beyond normal working hours without additional incentives.
“The main issue is that of our salaries, we want their consideration, at least the perks should be raised to K100, 000. But we also feel that our bosses have overstayed as such, they can do anything to destroy the corporation and suppress us. They even don’t allow us to form a trade union, yet this is a government facility, is that on?” Hassan queried.
The employees also said they get K2,000 house allowance and a leave grant of K5,000 which they describe as unfair.
Admarc CEO, Foster Mulumbe, addressed the employees and advised them to document their grievances and present them to management by 9 o’clock today according to one of the employees Philip Kautsile.
Admarc Spokesperson, Agness Chikoko, said the discussions are still ongoing.
“The discussions started yesterday [Sunday] but as of Monday, there were some misunderstandings. However, management agreed with the workers to continue discussing tomorrow [Tuesday] with the representatives of the employees,” she said.
The employees’ strike comes after revelations that the corporation signed a dubious deal in the purchase of maize from Zambia, and calls for further probe into senior Admarc officials involvement in the deal.
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