Malawi to Create Better Working Environment for Tobacco Industry Workers

According to Malawi24, a media outlet in Malawi, the country's government has pledged to create a favorable working environment for workers in the tobacco industry.

The viewpoint was presented by Hlalerwayo Kelvin Nyangulu, the Labor Commissioner at the Malawi Ministry of Labor, during a seminar held on Friday to enhance knowledge on labor laws, issues, and compliance.

At the meeting, Nyangulu stated that as a government, they are currently advancing a project aimed at addressing the decent work deficit in the tobacco industry and promoting the rights of tobacco workers.

Nyangulu stated, "In 2021, the employment laws were revised, effectively abolishing the sharecropping labor system in Malawi. The government is genuinely committed to ensuring decent work in the tobacco industry. The important thing now is that decisions have been made and laws have been put in place, so what I'm saying is that the sharecropping labor system in Malawi has been abolished. As you may be aware, this system provided fertile ground for child labor and forced labor, but now it has been eradicated. This is why we are talking about implementing standard contracts, which will define the relationship between employers and tobacco industry workers.

According to Nyangulu, a current effort they are pushing for is ensuring that workers in the tobacco industry receive a monthly salary.

Nyangulu states, "As you can see, tobacco is produced by both small farmers and large estates. We have observed that some farmers are complaining about being unable to afford monthly wages. However, due to the existence of laws, all we need to do is find a solution that empowers these farmers to comply with the law."

During his speech, George Khaki, Executive Director of the Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM), stated that the purpose of this meeting is to introduce participants to international labor standards relevant to the country's labor and employment laws. This will facilitate their understanding of which laws guide their contractual management when collaborating with employees, as well as their comprehension of international labor conventions.

The reason behind our decision to undertake this initiative as part of the International Labour Organization (ILO)'s ECAM program was based on a thorough assessment of training needs. One prominent issue that emerged was the lack of understanding of international labor standards among numerous companies or individual employers. In fact, a staggering 62% of companies admitted to being unfamiliar with these standards," stated Khaki.

Therefore, we believe this is a great platform that can provide us with knowledge about international labor standards, but we are also trying to promote the use of standard contracts. We are aware that the tenant farmer labor system was abolished in the employment bill in 2021, which means there will be regular employment relationships among participants in the tobacco industry. In order to facilitate this, we are developing a standard contract that can be adopted and used by the majority of participants who are unable to formulate contracts," stated Khaki.

The Secretary General of the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU), Madalitso Njolomole, emphasized the significance of this seminar, stating that it will greatly enhance employers' capacities in Malawi's labor sector and international labor standards, thereby fostering smoother relationships between workers and employers.