DOVWA decries surge in human rights violations

The Domestic and Vulnerable Workers Association (DOVWA) is recommending awareness campaigns in various workplaces as a means of eliminating employee exploitation.

The recommendation comes on the sidelines that there are currently over 100 unresolved cases of workplace exploitation in Blantyre alone, a situation which needs swift attention according to the association.

DOVWA executive director Dominic Makawa Samuel is blaming this alarming trend on a lack of awareness of labor laws which is leaving vulnerable workers exposed to abuse and mistreatment.

Makawa Samuel says most employers take advantage of illiterate and desperate employees including the elderly, young men and women, as well as those with disabilities.

He said: “The common workplace exploitation includes harsh working conditions and poor pay that falls below the legally set minimum wage.”

Makawa Samuel highlights the significance of public awareness of labour laws which he considers a critical tool for dealing with exploitation in the workplace.

“Most of the exploited individuals are taken advantage of because of their vulnerable state. This is quite unfortunate considering that most of them are unaware of their rights. So we need an introduction of awareness programs targeting such groups”

Last year, the Government approved new minimum wage rates for general workers that saw an 80 percent increase from 50,000 kwacha to 90,000 kwacha per month.

Sadly, most employers have not fully complied with the change.

Meanwhile, labor authorities have been on their toes to curb the injustices that employees continue to face across the country.

Labour Minister Vitumbiko Mumba has recently suspended operations of various companies for failure to improve working conditions including adopting the minimum wage.

With such government efforts in place, Makawa Samuel is confident that cases of exploitation will now be sorted without involving the industrial court.