CCJP wants Labour Relations Bill re-tabled
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has called for the re-tabling and fresh debate in Parliament of the Labour Relations Act (Amendment) Bill which President Lazarus Chakwera signed into law last Thursday.
The law has attr
acted mixed reactions from the civil society, opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and some labour unions in the country.
In an interview yesterday, CCJP national coordinator Boniface Chibwana said they believe that the law has not been made favourable for all parties.
He said: “Any law is supposed to work for the general public and if there is some resistance then it is better to engage in a debate. We have seen that there is still some resistance to the law and we understand it is only right that we go into more engagement on the Act.
“In the same way, we are requesting governance watchdogs such as the Malawi Human Rights Commission [MHRC] and office of the Ombudsman to regularly and meaningfully monitor and investigate labour rights situations in the employment sector in light of this new law.”
The law stirred controversy when it was tabled in Parliament, especially with the provision in Section 2 (4) that an employee shall not be entitled to receive wages for the period they are absent from work due to participation in a strike if they stay away for more than three days.
Political and social commentator Humphreys Mvula said resistance towards the law would affect its implementation of the provision.
