Admarc staff sit-in goes countrywide
Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) employees from all depots have joined their colleagues at their headquarters in Blantyre in a sit-in which enters its third day Wednesday.
The strike has led to closure of all Admarc markets across the country.
The employees, who started the sit-in on Monday, are demanding better working conditions.
Their grievances include an increment of leave grants, salary increment arrears for the 2016/2017 financial year and housing allowances.
Admarc workers representative, John Hassan, said he communicated with his colleagues in all the regions to stop working until their demands are fulfilled.
He said management has been playing delaying tactics in meeting their demands since their first protest in March this year.
“We have tried our best to cooperate by approaching the Ministry of Labour which referred the matter to the [Admarc] Board Chairperson [James Masumbu] but they have not been cooperative.
“They are asking us to resume work but we cannot trust them now because they have been promising to increase our salaries, to no avail. We will not go back to work unless they meet our demands,” Hassan said.
The workers who were just sitting outside their premises in Limbe, said they want their acting Chief Executive Officer, Margret Mauwa, to give them convincing answers.
Mauwa is said to have left for Lilongwe on the day the industrial action started and has reportedly told the workers to go back home until she returns from her trip if they do not want to resume work.
The workers are also demanding removal of Mauwa, Accountant, Agness Mtawali, and Administration Manager Grace Khomba.
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