EU for the promotion of Occupational Safety and Health towards the achievement of decent work conditions in Malawi
The European Union in Malawi has stressed on the need to amplify Occupational Safety and Health issues in the country towards the attainment of decent work conditions.
Speaking during the inaugural national conference on Occupational Safety and Health in Blantyre, EU head of corporation George Dura said through the Zanthcito Skills for Jobs programme, they are implementing comprehensive strategies and policies in the decent jobs agenda.
Director of Administration in the Ministry of Labour Paul Kalilombe, assured the gathering of the ministry’s commitment to prioritising OSH in the workplace.
The decent work component of the Zantchito Skills for Jobs Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour organised the conference to provide a platform for the exchange of OSH experiences, practices, and expert knowledge in the management of OSH hazards and risks in the world of work.
The conference was held under the theme “Promoting Occupational Safety and Health: towards vision Zero” which aligns with the Vision Zero Concept, a global transformative approach for prevention of occupational accidents and diseases.
In her remarks, Patience Matandiko, the ILO’s Country representative said that ILO believes that occupational safety and health is a fundamental principle and right at work that contributes to human dignity, promotion of productivity, sustainable decent Jobs and social justice.
“Unsafe workplaces have devastating effects on workers and their families owing to the effects of work related accidents, diseases and deaths. They also have financial implications for employers and business growth due to lost productivity resulting from business disruptions associated with occurrence of work related accidents, diseases and deaths.” said Matandiko.
The conference brought together OSH experts as well as Human Resource practitioners from various industries as well as Government Departments and Agencies.
