Speaking at a five-day training that was organized to equip labour inspectors with skills and competencies that are critical in aiding their effectiveness in discharging their labour administration mandate, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Labour Wezi Kayira challenged the inspectors to adapt to the ever-changing work dynamics in the world.

The initiative has seen a total of 36 labour inspectors from 14 districts in the central and northern regions trained in skills development.

The training targeted labour inspectors from Lilongwe, Dedza, Mchinji, Kasungu, Dowa, Salima, Nkhotakota, Nkhatabay, Likoma, Mzimba, Karonga, Ntchisi, Rumphi and Chitipa.

“Let me urge you to take this training opportunity seriously in order for us to develop a vibrant inspectorate system that will curb decent work deficits,” said Kayira.

The principal secretary further thanked the European Union for the technical and financial support rendered towards the training through GOPA Worldwide Consultants which is implementing the decent jobs aspect of the Zantchito Skills for Jobs Programme.

The Zantchito Project Occupational Safety and Health Expert Johannes Mandowa told the participants that the business-as-usual approach to labour inspection is seriously being challenged by the ever-changing work dynamics in the world of work.

He said labour inspectors must constantly be sharpened to ensure that they are abreast with current knowledge and technics that can be deployed to realize optimum compliance to labour policies and laws.

One of the participants who is also Karonga District Labour Officer, Perk Chawinga, said the training was very instrumental because it was contextualized in a manner that addressed the knowledge and skills gaps that were there.

“The training has covered a number of issues including pension administration, workers’ compensation, occupation safety and health, and a lot of other emerging issues within the Labour Administration System,” Chawinga said.

The training is part of a capacity-building initiative that will sharpen labour inspectors’ skills thereby fostering the concept of integrated labour inspections in promoting decent jobs in all workplaces in Malawi. The second series of the training is expected to take place in the southern region in a few weeks.

The Ministry of Labour in Collaboration with the European Union funded Zantchito Skills for Jobs Programme conducted a five-day intensive capacity-building training for labour inspectors in Kasungu

The training was conducted under the theme; “promoting effective integrated labour inspection for attainment of decent jobs”.