Stop the Exploitation of Tobacco Workers in Malawi
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Dear Honorable Henry Duncan Phoya,
In Malawi, tobacco is the leading cash crop worth several million of dollars to multinational cigarette corporations that package and sell it in Europe and elsewhere. Tobacco is also an arena of exploitation and deprivation for the over 300,000 tenant farmers in Malawi who make less than US$1.00 a day and are trapped in debt by landlords, lack enforceable labor contracts, and have little or no access to basic necessities: safe drinking water, adequate housing, and sufficient food.
The trade union representing these tenant farmers reports that their living conditions are worse today than when reform legislation was drafted in 1995. Thirteen years later, the Tenancy Labour Bill, still held by the Ministry of Justice, has yet to be discussed in Parliament. In the interest of basic justice, we believe the legislation should be considered without further delay. The tenant farmers need:
- Written, legally enforceable labor contracts
- A living wage and adequate food, safe drinking water, medicine, and proper housing
- Interest-free loans for agricultural inputs and food
- Transportation to home villages, at no cost, after the growing season
Therefore, we urge you to: (1) immediately create a Parliamentary sub-committee to review the Tenancy Labour Bill and send it to Parliament for debate; and (2) ensure that the Tobacco Tenants and Allied Workers Union of Malawi (TOTAWUM), tobacco landlord associations, and tobacco companies begin collective bargaining. For the sake of the tenants and of Malawi as a whole, we also encourage you to collaborate with TOTAWUM to find alternative crops and livelihoods for tobacco tenants and workers.
In Malawi, tobacco is the leading cash crop worth several million of dollars to multinational cigarette corporations that package and sell it in Europe and elsewhere. Tobacco is also an arena of exploitation and deprivation for the over 300,000 tenant farmers in Malawi who make less than US$1.00 a day and are trapped in debt by landlords, lack enforceable labor contracts, and have little or no access to basic necessities: safe drinking water, adequate housing, and sufficient food.
The trade union representing these tenant farmers reports that their living conditions are worse today than when reform legislation was drafted in 1995. Thirteen years later, the Tenancy Labour Bill, still held by the Ministry of Justice, has yet to be discussed in Parliament. In the interest of basic justice, we believe the legislation should be considered without further delay. The tenant farmers need:
- Written, legally enforceable labor contracts
- A living wage and adequate food, safe drinking water, medicine, and proper housing
- Interest-free loans for agricultural inputs and food
- Transportation to home villages, at no cost, after the growing season
Therefore, we urge you to: (1) immediately create a Parliamentary sub-committee to review the Tenancy Labour Bill and send it to Parliament for debate; and (2) ensure that the Tobacco Tenants and Allied Workers Union of Malawi (TOTAWUM), tobacco landlord associations, and tobacco companies begin collective bargaining. For the sake of the tenants and of Malawi as a whole, we also encourage you to collaborate with TOTAWUM to find alternative crops and livelihoods for tobacco tenants and workers.
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By:
Antonio Mcknight
In:
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Petition target:
The Hon. Henry Duncan Phoya, MP, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Private Bag 33, Lilongwe 3, MALAWI
The Hon. Henry Duncan Phoya, MP, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Private Bag 33, Lilongwe 3, MALAWI
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