Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Minister threatens company closure

Malawi's Labour Minister Yunnusu Mussa says that employers should treat Malawians with respect. Pic by Malawi Digest.

By Emmanuel Sobilika

Malawi’s Minister of Labour Yunnusu Mussa has warned Exclusive Fashions Limited, a clothing manufacturing company to improve on a number of issues of national concern or face closure.

The minister, who was accompanied by his deputy John Bande, said this on Monday during an impromptu visit to the company’s premises in the commercial city, Blantyre.

Speaking to Malawi Digest soon after touring the company, Mussa said that he together with his second in command were shocked and disappointed with what he saw at the organisation premises.

He said apart from ill-treating employees, Exclusive Fashions Limited is operating in the most unhygienic conditions ever seen in Malawi’s working environment.

“Imagine over 200 employees both male and female are sharing one toilet,” said the minister.

The eloquent minister who is also legislator for Zomba Central Constituency said that employees at the company were working in the most dehumanising manner.

“We have been told apart from being castigated by some of the company supervisors, corporal punishment is applied on the local employees which is contrary to the country’s labour laws,” said Mussa.

According to the minister, the company employees complained of meagre salaries which the minister said is pegged at MK750 every two weeks translating into K1, 500.00 a month.

“I have given the company three weeks to either improve on these inexcusable working conditions or face closure,” he said.

The minister specifically issued a warning to six foreign supervisors found at the factory but have no proper documentation to work in the country to stop ill-treating Malawian employees.

“These six that we have discovered are of Pakistan origins are doing work kind of work that Malawians would have easily done. To make matters worse, they ill-treat the local employees, castigating them as well as in some situations beating them up,” said the minister.

The minister said that the Bingu wa Mutharika government will not tolerate any foreigner who will come into the country to abuse and ill-treat the natives.

“What we have done at Exclusive Fashions should be a stern warning to all employers in Malawi,” he said.

The Labour Minister’s warning to Exclusive Fashions comes barely a week after President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika sent packing four senior tobacco buying company officials for defying government authority.

The four were discovered to be in the lead for the provision of poor tobacco prices at the auction floors.

Tobacco is Malawi’s main foreign exchange earner-Malawi Digest.

5 comments:

  1. Sure Sir, help our fellow malawian they are real suffering

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  2. Zoonadi anthu amenewa amazunza a Malawi as if we are not humans but not with Bingu's administration.Coax them until they improve.

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  3. thats weare expecting from this govt. not za Achair zomangopanga sponsor violence ndikutukwana instead of valuing welfare of people.

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  4. This guy is one of Bakili Muluzi's products....this is what Muluzi is expecting of you guys.

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  5. really the nation will see great change by 2014.Alendo onse azitsatila za eni nthakafe.

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