Malawi’s government is committed to creating an enabling environment for workers in the tobacco sector the Labour Commissioner in the Ministry of Labour has said, according to Malawi 24.

Hlalerwayo Kelvin Nyangulu, the Labour Commissioner in the Ministry of Labour, made the comments of support for workers in the industry during a workshop of strengthening knowledge of labour laws, issues and compliance which took place in Lilongwe.
“In 2021 the employment act was amended, and we actually abolished tenants labour in Malawi. So, Government is really committed to ensure that we have decent work in the tobacco sector,” he said.
“What is important now is that a decision has been made, a law has been enacted so what is happening is that as I speak tenants labour is abolished in Malawi. As you may know tenants labour was providing fertile ground for child labour, it was also providing fertile ground for forced labour now that it is abolished that’s why we are talking about developing standard contracts that will define the relationship between employer and the worker in the tobacco sector,” he continued.
Nyangulu said that one of the things the government is working on currently is making it possible that workers in the tobacco sector should be paid monthly wages, reports Malawi 24.
“You see tobacco is produced by smallholder farmers and large estate owners. We have seen that some farmers are complaining that they cannot afford to pay the monthly wages but since we have the law, we just need to find ways how these farmers can be empowered so that they comply with the law,” he said.