Minister of Labor, Vitumbiko Mumba emphasised the need for adequate awareness of labor laws in Malawi, saying ignorance of such laws contributes to gross human rights violations of workers in most workplaces.
He observed this on Tuesday, after inspecting Makandi Estate Conforzi Plantations Limited in Thyolo and Moon Puffs Limited in Limbe, Blantyre.
Speaking after the inspections, Mumba said that many factory workers in Malawi face harsh conditions due to a power and knowledge gap.
“Most factory owners have no relationship with the people who work for them, and there seems to be a great deal of fear. There is minimal communication, and many issues remain unaddressed, leaving workers to suffer in silence,” Mumba explained.
He added that there was a need for factory management to regularly check on the welfare of their employees and prioritise their well-being over profit-making.
The minister also urged factory workers to join trade unions to foster better relationships with owners so that the unions should act as intermediaries.
During an interactions at Makandi, the estate workers revealed issues, citing unfair practices by site managers on weighing scales.
“When the tea is weighed and the scale reads 30 kg, the managers tell us the actual weight is 20kg, claiming that the remaining 10kg accounts for the cloth that carries the tea,” according to the workers.
The workers also reported being forced to purchase raincoats which are deducted from the payroll, adding that the estate had no boreholes, prompting the workers to walk long distances to fetch drinking water, which is mostly unhygienic for consumption.
Following the inspection, the minister ordered the closure of Conforzi Estate for seven days to allow improvements for basic standards.
At Moon Puffs in Limbe, a factory producing soya pieces and snacks, workers revealed various challenges, including being physically assaulted by some staff members if caught taking their lunch.
The workers also disclosed that they are not allowed to take a lunch break despite working from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on top of being paid K3,500 per day with K300 deducted daily as “tax” by some individuals believed to be part of the factory administration.
In response, Moon Puffs Managing Director, Touffice Bilal Limbada, stated that the administration does not receive complaints from workers, leading to the assumption that there were no challenges.
However, Limbada assured that conditions at the factory will be improved in line with the seven-day ultimatum notice issued by the Ministry of Labor.
The minister began labor inspections in the southern region on Monday, January 27, with a visit to Mapeto (DWSM) Limited at Makata industrial site in Blantyre.
