215 MRA retrenched staff petition Banda

The 215 Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) employees retrenched in July 2010 have petitioned President Joyce Banda, asking her to intervene in their matter.

The laid-off said they decided to write the President following delays by courts to rule over the matter and after making a similar plea to former president Bingu wa Mutharika in September last year.

The workers say Mutharika did not take any action after the said letter. The case has been in court for close to two years.

State House and the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) could not immediately comment whether the President has received the letter.

Among others, the former workers complain that they were surprised that soon after they were retrenched, MRA engaged in a recruitment exercise to replace them and has been re-employing some of the retrenched workers while the case is still in court.

“Our humble request to you is that you reverse the decision made by MRA which is legally and morally incorrect and based on political and nepotistic selection,” reads part of the letter signed by 12 of the retrenched employees representing their colleagues.

MRA spokesperson Steve Kapoloma on Thursday declined to comment on the matter, saying the authority would not want to disrespect the court process by commenting on a court issue.