PF youths from Munali Constituency, led by former Big Brother housemate, Max Chongu, on Friday descended on Chicago’s Bistro Lounge owner Savva Christofi, forcing him to pay a month’s salary to an employee he had fired last week.
The youths demanded that Christofi pays Kedrick Mweemba his K1,200 salary after he was fired for eating his lunch at a wrong time.
Business at the restaurant came to a standstill when the youths arrived in buses, singing praises for President Michael Sata and denouncing Christofi.
Upon arrival, the youths demanded to see Christofi’s business partner, only addressed as Spiro. Spiro was accused of firing Mweemba without pay.
After seeing that his customers had started leaving the restaurant, Christofi phoned plainclothes policemen from Manda Hill Police Post.
Upon arrival, the officers called Chongu by the side, to ask why the cadres were disturbing the operations of the restaurant.
Chongu, who did not want to be talked to in privacy, explained that a youth from Munali constituency was dismissed on flimsy reasons.
He insisted that the youths were only going to leave on condition that Mweemba was paid his salary and his dismissal explained.
Mweemba, a security officer at the restaurant, explained that he was having his supper at 22:00 hours because the kitchen was busy when he tried to have his meal earlier.
“We usually eat supper around 19:00 hours, but I could not eat at the time I should have eaten because the kitchen was busy,” Mweemba explained. “When I was finally given food to eat, Spiro found me eating and asked why I was eating that late. But before I could explain, he told me not to report for work, but just come and collect my salary, later. This is how they are. A lot of workers here are fired for no reason; all these workers you see here do not even have contracts. I have been coming here since last week, but he has not given me my salary. Even the NAPSA deductions are not remitted. When I went there, I was told that there is nothing.”
After about an hour of dramatic and chaotic scenes, Christofi instructed his accounts officer to bring Mweemba’s salary, as well as a pay slip.
Mweemba was paid a basic pay of K882.00, housing allowance of K378.00 and NAPSA deduction of K60.00
He was however handed K1,200.00 less K60.
And addressing Christofi and the onlookers, Chongu said the PF government was not going to accept ill-treatment of Zambians by foreign shop owners.
He accused Christofi of denting President Sata’s name by firing Zambian workers with impunity.
But Christofi denied having fired Mweemba.
Christofi said Mweemba had a personal difference with Spiro.
He said he was going to make a follow up with NAPSA to ascertain why monies remitted were not reflecting in their system as alleged by Mweemba.
He, however, promised to reinstate Mweemba and give him his contract.
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PF Youths Acts After Man Was Fired For Eating His Lunch At A Wrong Time
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