Mzuzu City Council staff sit-in persists

It never rains but pours for Mzuzu City Council (MCC) management following a new sit-in by the council’s workers demanding their three months unpaid salaries.

After a wave of sit-ins since last year, there was hope that things would change for the better at MCC following transfer of the then chief executive officer McCloud Kadammanja and dismissal of finance director and procurement officer deemed to be at the centre of mismanagement of funds.

However, MCC workers yesterday put down their tools and verbally attacked new management for failing to honour its commitment to start paying their three months’ salary arrears.

MCC Workers Union president Taipeni Kamanga described the management as disrespectful and not concerned about people’s welfare.

“We had a meeting with management last week where it agreed to pay junior workers while waiting for other funds to pay the remaining workers,” he said.

Kamanga said the workers will stop the sit-in when the arrears are paid and all directors are removed from the council.

In a separate interview, MCC spokesperson Macdonald Gondwe said the issue will be handled administratively.

“When management meets, that’s when possibly, we can provide an official position of the council,” he said.

Gondwe said the sit-in will paralyse the council’s operations in terms of waste management and revenue collection.

He said the K180 million loan the council applied from First Discount Bank meant to cater for the workers grievances was approved, but is yet to be in the council’s coffers.