Truck Drivers Union has protested the recently approved 40 percent hike in the minimum wage, insisting on 150 percent increase to match the rising cost of living.
The union has since warned that its members will ground trucks if government does not review the recent hike.
Truck Drivers Union vice-president Francis Mkandawire said in an interview yesterday that the union will not accept the 40 percent minimum wage increase and wants government to revise the hike to at least 100 percent.
He said: “Once the sit in starts, no truck will be on the road. The government may not value us now, but when we go on strike, they will know that we play a very important role to the economy because goods will become scarce.”
Mkandawire accused government of siding with transporters on the matter.
Minister of Labour Peter Dimba announced the 40 percent adjustment to the minimum wage last Tuesday.
At the time, Truck Drivers Union and Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) said they were not satisfied with the 40 percent increase, considering the high cost of living in the country.
However, when The Nation followed up on the matter yesterday, MCTU said it has resolved to accept the adjustment while the truck drivers stated that they maintain their position that the 40 percent increase was on the lower side.
Yesterday, Dimba asked the drivers to negotiate with their employers for higher pay, saying government only set a minimum wage.
“Actually, they should be thanking us that we are protecting them. However, government cannot dictate maximum salaries that employers should pay their workers,” he said.
In a separate interview, Transporters Association of Malawi spokesperson Frank Banda said while transporters appreciate the truck drivers concerns, transporters too have been affected economically.
He said: “Currently, the private sector pays K140 per tonne per kilometre and government pays K240 per tonne per kilometre, but as transporters, we want the rate to be in the range of K400 to K450 per tonne per kilometre.
“We want government to bring in a consultant to assess the operation costs, but government is yet to do that. If we are to increase the salaries, it is not just for drivers, there are other workers that we also employ.”
Initially, MCTU had asked government to increase minimum wage by at least 100 percent to cushion workers from high cost of living.
Following the 40 percent increase in minimum wage, the general minimum wage increased from K90 000 to K126 000 per month, domestic minimum wage increased from K52 000 to K72 800 per month, micro enterprise minimum wage moved from K75 000 to K105 000 per month.
For 30 tonnes and above international truck drivers, the minimum wage increased from K234 500 to K328 300 per month while for local truck drivers, was revised from K167 500 to K234 500 per month. For trucks below 30 tonnes, the minimum wage increased from K100 500 to K140 700 per month.
