Malawi Govt to probe BWB staff demands

Malawi Government has said it will thoroughly investigate Blantyre Water Board (BWB) to establish why employees are seeking removal of management.

Minister of Water Development and Irrigation Richie Muheya told journalists in the commercial city Blantyre on Monday that government is going to institute a probe based on complaints from the employees.

Muheya, who accompanied Labour Minister Eunice Makangala to BWB to find a solution to an industrial action over pay rise, argued the employees are not coming out clear on why they want the immediate removal of the managerial team; hence, he had asked them to put their complaints in writing.

Muheya, Makangala and regional labour officer for the South, Lenius Daitoni, met management and later employees. The industrial action the employees embarked on, ended when government offered an average 25 percent salary hike.

The BWB branch of the Water Employees Trade Union of Malawi (Wetum) told the two ministers and the regional labour officer that the workers want immediate removal of the management team.

But Wetum secretary general Tony Chiphwanya could not disclose their reasons before further consultations

Meanwhile, Blantyre City Council (BCC)  employees on Tuesday continued their sit-in which started on Monday, asking their management to increase their salaries by 150 percent and pay them arrears from July.

This follows a memorandum which BCC management wrote to the workers, asking them to go back to work or face disciplinary action.

“It should be brought to the attention of all employees of the Blantyre City Council that according to the 1996 Labour Act, the industrial action is illegal.

“This position was also communicated to all council employees by the union leadership.

“As you are aware, your concerns related to the revision of salaries were thoroughly discussed with the union leadership,” reads part of the memorandum signed by director of administrative services Alfred Chanza.