By Rose Mahorya
Mzuzu, May 1, Mana: President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has called on companies and organizations who retrenched some of their workers or reduced their salaries due to Covid-19 to re-employee the retrenched workers or adjust upwards the reduced salaries.
Chakwera made the call in Mzuzu on Sunday when he presided over the 2022 World Labour Day Commemoration.
“Now that the pandemic has been contained, my expectation is that employers will rehire the workers who were retrenched and restore wages which were reduce due to the pandemic,” said Chakwera.
Chakwera then appealed for unity between workers and their employees for the country to achieve Malawi 2063 agenda.
“For us to achieve Malawi 2063, there is need for both employers and employees to work together.
A good working relationship and positive working environment motivate both workers and employers,” said Chakwera.
The President also assured employees in the country that they will be protected against any form of harassment.
Speaking earlier the President of Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU), Charles Kumchenga alleged that some employers have been taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to retrench workers.
“My assumption is that it has been a while since the pandemic was contained so most of you are on the recovery road,” said Kumchenga.
He said MCTU will continue lobbying financial institutions to be providing short term loans to companies to help as they recover from Covid-19 related losses.
Kumchenga also requested government, through the Ministry of Labour, to follow-up on cases of employers who fail to remit pension contributions for their employees to responsible financial institutions.
We are angered by this malpractice because such companies make profits out of their workers’ pension savings and this is unfair,” he said.
Activities to commemoration this year’s labour day started with a solidarity march from Katoto Secondary School Ground to Mzuzu Upper Stadium.
Labour Day which is commemorated Worldwide on 1st May annually, provides an opportunity for workers both in the formal and informal sectors to come together and celebrate their rights.
This year the day is being commemorated under the theme ‘Workers rights; a prerequisite for inclusive development.’
What the president is saying is a mere shift of responsibility from his administration to companies. Companies can employ people and raise perks if the government establishes a conducive business environment by leading from the front and making the right resources available. Is it not him and his cabinet who all along have been saying they are unable to deliver because of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine? So these two reasons only affect the government and not the private sector? We are told that Fuel on the international market has been reduced by 35%, following that reduction Zambia has also reduced the prices in their petrol garages, and in Kenya their president has upped the salaries by 12%. What has Malawi done to ease her citizens hardships, or is Malawi operating like an island that international developments do not affect us?
In a nutshell this administration has lost its plot, if at all it had any. As it were, the country is on autopilot that anytime soon there will be a necessity for an emergency crash landing. There is literally nothing to keep the nation afloat. Instead of governing, the two at the top are busy outdoing each other politically, shadow-boxing along the way. God is up there trying to prove you wrong for thinking that assuming an office through illicit means has its other ugly repercussions. One day those very same people who ushered you into those seats will unceremoniously move you out. I was all grins when I saw another MCP mad person listing down achievements made so far. Among the list there is nothing a rational human being can boldly take onto an anthill and shout all that crap. Surely it is hightime Malawians and their president chose what he really is; an Executive or Ceremonial President? I am sure his job description was not made known to him before he took office. Ndiyensotu Masiteni anali bwino ndi ntchito yao yogawa ng’ombe, maliposa ndi nyumba amamangira abale awo zija. This democracy thing will show us zosaona!!!