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MCTU to fight injustice,child labour in Mzimba

Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) president Charles Kumchenga says they are making efforts to address workplace injustice and child labour in Mzimba District.

Speaking on Friday during a district executive committee meeting in Mzimba, he said workers face unfair terminations and poor working conditions while children are exploited in illegal mining, farm labour and manufacturing ventures.

Kumchenga: We are committed to ending exploitation. | Nation

“We are committed to ending this exploitation, formalising informal jobs and ensuring workers are treated fairly,” he said.

Kumchenga said the Advancing Workers’ Justice Project is targeting the informal sector where labour laws are often neglected, leaving workers and children vulnerable to exploitation.

On his part, Advancing Workers’ Justice project officer Limbani Vinjero Kachali highlighted the importance of media collaboration, especially in reaching remote areas.

He said: “Media outlets such as Mzimba Community Radio are key in reaching communities that are hard to access.

“With many people having radios, this will help us spread our message widely. We will also organise media workshops in Mzimba to

 train journalists on reporting workers’ injustices and child labour.”

Mbelwa District Council social welfare officer Bernard Nangwale acknowledged the project’s importance but urged MCTU to engage the community more effectively.

He said: “This is a much-needed initiative for Mzimba, but we ask the organisation to ensure they come and implement the project directly as some organisations have launched projects without informing us, only showing up at the end. “It is crucial that this project involves the community at every stage.”

With funding from the University of Carolina in the United States of America, the two-year project targets four districts in Malawi, including Mzimba to the tune of K200 million.

Mzimba is one of the districts where children work in tobacco and coffee estates.

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