Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) - Malawi (Ratification: 1971)

The Committee notes with regret that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments initially made in 2015.

Repetition

The Committee refers to its comments in relation to Articles 4, 6, 7, 10 and 11 of the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), in so far as they concern the application of the corresponding Articles of the present Convention (Articles 7, 8, 9, 14 and 15). In addition, the Committee wishes to raise the following points.

Articles 26 and 27 of the Convention. Annual report on labour inspection (agriculture). The Committee notes the Government’s statement that it intends to publish an annual report on the work of labour inspection in agriculture as part of its annual general report. The Committee encourages the Government to pursue its efforts to publish an annual labour inspection report on the work of the inspection services in agriculture and to take the necessary measures to ensure that the report contains the elements set out in Article 27, such as agricultural undertakings liable to inspection, number of inspections therein, violations detected and the legal provisions to which they relate.

Application in practice. The Committee notes the statement in Malawi’s Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2011–16 that the agricultural sector is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood to 80 per cent of the population. It also notes that one of the strategies for the DWCP is the improved implementation of the Convention, as well as Convention No. 81. Noting the significant proportion of workers engaged in the agricultural sector, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken, within the framework of the DWCP 2011–16, to improve the implementation of the Convention in practice.

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.