LABOUR INSPECTIONS CRITICAL FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF LABOUR LAW AND STANDARDS

Minister of Labour, Honourable Agnes NyaLonje has underscored the role of labour officers in protecting the country’s labour force.

NyaLonje said this when she opened a three days Labour Inspectors Conference in Lilongwe, which gathered all labour officers under the Ministry across the country.

She said such gatherings and engagements, are crucial in fulfilling the Ministry’s mandate which is to develop and protect the country’s labour force in order to contribute to the socio-economic development of Malawi, and in particular help meet the goals and objectives of Malawi 2063.

“As labour inspectors, you are the public face of the Ministry of Labour, with responsibility to provide guidance on, and enforce, the labour laws which promote decent work standards that are internationally recognised as critical for sustainable economic development where you have the responsibility to oversee the enforcement of legal provisions, particularly those relating to workers’ rights, and to provide technical advisory services on labour standards,” said NyaLonje.

Europenan Union funded Zancthito Skills for Jobs project, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, organized the conference which among other things aims at developing strategies to enhance the labour administration system.

Zancthito project Occupational Safety and Health Expert, Johanes Mndowa, emphasized the need for labour inspectors to have new knowledge that can be used to foster compliance with labour policies and laws.

The three days conference was held under the theme ‘Promoting Decent Jobs Creation Through Integrated Labour Administration System’.