Labour laws review key in achieving the Malawi 2063 agenda, says Minister Nyalonje
Minister of Labour, Agness Nyalonje, has stressed the importance of comprehensively reviewing labour laws in the country if Malawi is to successfully achieve the 2063 agenda.
Nyalonje was speaking at Grand Palace Hotel in Mzuzu on Monday when she opened a two-day comprehensive labour laws review consultative workshop organised by the Ministry of Labour funded by Zantchito Project under the European Union.
Zantchito Project is there to improve the environment and promote labour laws, and observe laws that address decent work deficits in Malawi. It also seeks to review labour laws in line with international standards for improved implementation of labour laws.
Speaking to journalists, Nyalonje said there was a fundamental link between the labour laws review taking place now and the attainment of the Malawi 2063 agenda.
“The first major goal of Malawi 2063 is improved productivity and commercialisation. It’s a short run from workers working well and then the different working places, all functioning as they ought to function. What we are doing here is to make sure that we can create conditions where workplaces are managed in a manner that leads to better productivity, quality products and quality services,” she said.
And speaking on behalf of Malawi Congress of Trade Unions, Shouts Simeza said the consultative process in the review of labour laws was critical and has brought a lot of excitement to trade unions.
“These laws have outlived. And they are also ambiguous to match the current state of affairs in the labour market. This is why we feel government should consider developing a legal framework for jobs in Diaspora. For example, we have 4 million plus colleagues working in South Africa but we don’t even know the legal framework that is protecting them,” remarked Simeza.
Employers’ Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM) Representative, Maria Zgozi, said the review was very important in defining working hours for workers during disruptions and pandemics like the Covid-19.
A similar consultative workshop has already taken place in the city of Lilongwe.
