Construction workers cry foul over wages

Workers on a girls’ hostel at Mwansambo Secondary School in Nkhotakota District have accused their employer of not paying them wages for 12 months.

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) is constructing a hostel, kitchen, a matron’s house and a hall at the school. The works began last year.

However, a tour of the site showed that construction works stalled in November 2018 and the place looked deserted.

Leader of the disgruntled workers, Jeffrey Malire, claimed that efforts to meet the contractor have been futile as he has been shunning them.

“We received our first payment when the works were at foundation level. Another payment was to be made when works reached window level, but he left without notice,” he said.

Master Building Construction Company through its officer Daud Nadin, yesterday admitted the delayed payment, attributing it to government’s late disbursement of funds to the project.

He said MoEST has since released the funds for the resumption of the works, assuring the workers that payments will be made next week.

“We had a cash flow problem because we were waiting for government to release funds. Now that government has funded us, we will be on the site probably next week,” said Nadin.

Meanwhile, Traditional Authority Mwansambo has advised the parties to iron out their differences to resume the works.

The contractor is reported to have hired 80 workers.