The Ministry of Labour Agnes NyaLonje said this in her opening remarks at the Northern Region stakeholders consultative workshop that is underway at Grand Palace Hotel in Mzuzu.
Speaking in an interview, the minister expressed gratitude to the EU funded Zantchito Skills for Jobs Programme for their financial and technical support towards the review process saying “It is key to the attainment of decent jobs and sustainable economic development as enshrined in the Malawi 2063”.
The two-day workshop is one of a series of labour laws consultative workshops organised by the Ministry of Labour in collaboration with the EU funded Zantchito Skills for Jobs Programme to gather views, ideas, and opinions of various stakeholders that will aid the effectiveness and competitiveness of the Malawi Labour laws.
The review comes after a comprehensive labour laws gap analysis conducted by a labour law expert, Dr. Rodgers Matsikidze which revealed a number of gaps in the current labour laws of Malawi. The labour laws to be reviewed include the Employment Act of 2000, Employment (Prohibition of Hazardous Work for Children Order of 2012), and Labour Relations Act of 1996 in line with international labour standards, regional, and international best practices.
The EU Labour expert under the Zantchito Programme Johanes Mandowa said that the country’s labour laws have become outdated due to the dynamic and ever-evolving world of work owing to the presence of emerging global issues in the world of work such as migration challenges, climate change, work patterns that are changing, rapidly changing employment forms and relationships and emerging labour challenges such as violence and harassment among others.
“It is therefore imperative to have these laws reviewed to promote the Decent Work Agenda which is a critical component of sustainable economic development.” Said Johanes Mandowa.
The former president of the Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAMA) Emmanuel Banda said, “It is time to make the laws inclusive for both employers and employees in the formal and informal sector and put Malawi on the right path to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal eight which speaks to decent work and economic growth.” He said this in an interview during the first consultative workshop which happened in Lilongwe on the 5th and 6th of September.
The next stakeholder consultative workshop will take place in Blantyre on the 16th and 17th of September at Sunbird Mount Soche hotel. At the end of the day, these consultative activities are envisaged to lead to a logical conclusion of having reviewed labour laws that reflect the aspirations of the Government of Malawi and its social partners and more importantly that are aligned with ILO Labour conventions both ratified and ratified as well as other international labour best practices.
