Drivers under Professional Drivers Association of Malawi (PODUM) who are planning to stage a strike to force government to increase their monthly salaries are being blamed by Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM) saying the drivers are directing their anger to the wrong party because government is not the employer of the truck drivers.
ECAM Executive Director George Khaki said, “It is very wrong that the drivers are continuing on strike for failure by government to adjust the driver’s payments, the strike should be against their employers.”
“Matters of wages and remuneration are contractual commitment between an employer and employee. In this case government is not the employer for truck drivers and it is therefore misplaced that the drivers are proceeding on strike for failure by government to increase the driver’s salary. With reference to the labor relations act, strike action is overtaken by workers against their employer. The strike should be against their employers,” explained Khaki.
“The matter should be referred for conciliation, the labor relations act provides that where there is an argument between an employer and workers and the way the proposed strike is being presented suggests that no conciliation has been undertaken and this further submits that appropriate notice has not been given to proceed on strike.”
“We observed that they were forcing other truck drivers not to work up to the point of damaging the trucks of the drivers that were not willing to participate in the strike from the previous strike that was carried out by the truck drivers.”
”The damage of property is criminal, forcing other people to take part in the strike action is not within the spirit of section 31(2) of the constitution.” Said Khaki.
According to Khaki, “Despite the fact that the drivers belonging to ECAM’s member companies had no issue with their employers, they were forced not to proceed on assigned duties and ECAM members incurred huge losses on matters that did not concern them.”
He also noted that ECAM is struggling due to the challenges in energy and fuel supply, saying this will further impact on the forced space the industry is operating in.
ECAM has proposed that appropriate action should be taken, it has urged the government to ensure that the intended strike by the truck drivers is not done within the provision labor relation act and also urged the government to ensure appropriate security to protect property of parties not taking part in the strike.
