62% employers ignorant about internationally accepted labour standards

Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM) has revealed that 62 percent of employers are ignorant about the internationally accepted labour standards, a situation that has perpetuated mistreatment of workers in various sectors.

ECAM Executive Director George Khaki has also lamented the slow progress in the implementation of legal instruments, which were developed and instituted to replace tenancy labour.

Khaki made the sentiments in Lilongwe on Thursday during the workshop the association organized with financial assistance from the International Labour Organization (ILO) to strengthen knowledge of labour labour laws and issues and compliance.

He disclosed that ECAM has embarked on a nationwide campaign aimed at sensitizing and strengthening international labour standards among employers.

“What has prompted us to do this is that as ECAM, under ILO, we carried out a training needs assessment and one of the things that was highlighted was that many companies or personnel in companies are not aware of the international labour standards,” he said.

“So, we thought this was a good platform for us to bring the knowledge to the employers. We are also trying to promote the use of international labour contract.”

Labour Commissioner in the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Development, Hlalerwayo Kelvin Nyangulu, expressed government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for the promotion of decent work in tobacco sector, among others.

Nyangulu said the abolition of tenancy labour is one of the mechanisms the government put in place to address challenges in the employment sector.

Secretary General of the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU), Madalitso Njolomole, commended ECAM for the steps it has taken to address bottlenecks in the labour sector.