As the economy shifts, a consultative workshop seeks to ensure no worker is left behind in the pursuit of decent work and sustainable development.
Article by Uthman Kaisi
Johanes Mandowa has emphasized the need for the country’s inclusiveness in all employment sectors for the country to attain sustainable economic development milestones in the Malawi 2063 Agenda.
Mandowa, who is an Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) expert in the European Union-funded Zantchito – Skills for Jobs program, said this in an interview during a two-day Stakeholders Consultative Workshop for the Review of the Malawi National OSH Program at Amallyris Hotel in Blantyre.
“It is very important that we embrace all forms of employment, all activities that are happening in the country, and bring everyone on board,” said Mandowa.
However, Ofwa Alide, the Guest of Honor at the workshop, said that the event is a step ahead since it will incorporate ideas that were not included in the Act when it was first created. The workshop was aimed at reviewing the entire Act so that it should be aligned with international conventions.
“As a country, we are not where we were supposed to be, but since laws are there, it is just a matter of creating awareness so that everyone must know what to do and what is in the Act,” said Alide.
Furthermore, Mandowa highlighted the need for the country to deliberate on national action towards helping the workforce and employers who are in the informal economy.
“This is the time to consider that the dynamics of the country are changing, in the fact that the economy is becoming more informal, and we need more intervention so that we are able to promote decent work and OSH,” said Mandowa.
“We need policies that are sensitive to the prevailing challenges that are directly affecting those in the informal sector,” he added.
In his remarks, Ken Williams Mhango, President of the Malawi Union for the Informal Sector (MUFIS), said that indeed, in many decision-making processes, the informal sector is left out. This leads to the creation of policies which hinder them. Therefore, it is now high time to include them so that the policies are also in line with their needs.
