As part of the repositioning the business by management, one of the leading mobile services company in the country, Artel Malawi Limited has sacked over 41 of its employees.

Some of the affected employees who opted for the condition of anonymity confirmed of the development in an interview with press, saying the exercise has affected top management and some junior staff.

In a statement released on Friday made available to Faceofmalawi, the company said it is embarking on a strategic restructuring exercise that will reposition the business and reinforce its competitiveness in the market place.

“The exercise, which is focused on aligning the company’s structure with its operating model, also entails a right-sizing that will impact a section of our current workforce.

“One of the key objectives is to create a high performing organization, which satisfies the needs of all of our stakeholders, especially our customers, as we step into the next growth phase of our operation,” reads in part the statement.

The statement added: “Airtel is sensitive towards the affected staff and is committed to minimizing the impact of this exercise on the employees. As a way of helping the affected staff members during the transition, the Company is compensating better than what is prescribed by the prevailing laws.”

The statement further said the affected employees also have the opportunity to still be a part of the Airtel eco- system and they will be given the first option to re-join the growing distribution and agent’s network given their prior understanding of the Airtel brand and its systems.

“In addition, they will also have an opportunity to competitively apply for any future positions that come up.

“We wish to therefore assure all stakeholders that a robust plan has been put in place to cushion the effect of the exercise on all employees,” reads the statement.