Africa-Press – Malawi. Truck drivers have called off their strike following a meeting with cabinet ministers. Drivers and transporters started a sit-in on September 27 demanding a minimum salary of K140,000, free Covid-19 testing and low passport fees.
International Truck Drivers Association and the Transporters Association of Malawi held a meeting today with ministers where they formed a taskforce to look into the welfare of international truck drivers
On salary, the taskforce will be ensuring that truck owners are complying with the minimum salary set by Government. They also agreed that 86 percent of government businesses will be given to local transporters.
One of the executive members of Truck Drivers Association, Byson Mipando, said it was the first time for the association to hold a roundtable discussion with government ministers.
Ministers at the meeting included Homeland Security Minister Richard Chimwendo Banda, Deputy Minister of Transport Nancy Mdooko and Minister of Civic Education Timothy Mtambo.
The strike by truck drivers and truck owners led to fuel crisis in the country and Government was forced to deploy Malawi Defence Force Soldiers to transport fuel from storage facilities to filling stations.
