BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) expert for the European Union (EU)-funded Zantchito Skills for Jobs Programme, Johanes Mandowa,has stressed the importance of equipping media professionals with knowledge of labor laws to bridge critical information gaps in the country.
Speaking at the decent work awareness workshop for journalists in Blantyre on Friday, Mandowa said the training initiative was aimed at strengthening public awareness of labor laws, which many employers and employees in the country remain unfamiliar with despite the project being rolled out in 2022.
“This training is significant because it addresses knowledge and information gaps that we have observed since the project began.Many workplaces in Malawi lack adequate understanding of the provisions of labor laws.
“By collaborating with media professionals who are key agents of information dissemination,we hope to ensure that employers, employees, and other stakeholders have access to this vital knowledge,” he said.
Mandowa added that the initiative has a two-pronged approach which are strengthening government enforcement systems while also promoting self-compliance among employers and employees.
“Government must play a leading role in ensuring that enforcement is efficient.However, there are challenges, such as the limited number of labor inspectors and inadequate resources like vehicles for inspections.
“On the other hand, the global trend is to promote self-compliance where employers and employees voluntarily adhere to labor standards.This reduces overreliance on government inspections and fosters a culture of responsibility in workplaces,” he said.
Despite the progress, Mandowa admitted that compliance with labor laws in the country remains low.
“From our targeted inspections, the majority of workplaces are non-compliant with legal requirements. Much more needs to be done to bring employers and employees in line with the law,” said Mandowa.
He further highlighted the unique challenges posed by Malawi’s labor landscape, noting that about 89 percent of the working population is engaged in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within the informal sector.
“These workers are highly mobile and difficult to regulate through conventional inspection systems.Innovative strategies are required to ensure compliance in such settings,” he said.
One of the training participants, Smart Sochela, from YONECO FM described the training as informative.
“There are many workers who are suffering in silence, working under unfavourable conditions because they are unaware of their rights at workplace.
“It is our duty to speak on their behalf by raising awareness on such issues and this can only be achieved if we are conversant with labour laws,” said Sochela.
The training was held under the theme’ Empowering the Media to Promote Decent Work in Malawi’.
