Labour Minister cautions workers on safety measures
Minister of Labour Vera Kamtukule has urged workers to observe safety and protective measures to avoid injuries.
The minister made the remarks during a visit to Tea Association of Malawi Limited (Taml) in Blantyre on Friday after the company disclosed that it was worried with K1.5 billion compensation claims.
Said Kamtukule: “If you are working in a factory, you are supposed to be put on safety helmet, wear gloves and boots. If you have received those protective gear and you deliberately don’t put them on and in the course of work you get injured, this is your responsibility.
“But what is happening is that it is the company that will be blamed. While there is a part that a company can play, the workers are also required to take some responsibility on the safety.”
The minister also urged the industry, which employs 60 000 people, to consider supporting the Workers Compensation Fund which the ministry is planning to establish.
Taml chief executive officer Tonda Chinangwa said the K1.5 billion compensation claims were based on 2 000 cases from 2019 for the tea industry to pay. However, Chinangwa, a lawyer by profession, said some of the claims are not justifiable.
