Malawi’s Minister of Labour, Peter Dimba, has ordered the suspension of operations at Central Poultry (Dudu) in Lilongwe for breaching labour laws. Dimba made the announcement during a surprise visit to the company on Thursday, citing several safety and health violations.
Dimba noted that employees were working without protective gear while handling cold chickens and were exposed to freezing temperatures. He also pointed out poor sanitation and lack of proper hygiene, leading to the suspension until these issues are resolved.
Workers at Central Poultry raised complaints about low wages and long hours, with some being required to work late into the night without receiving overtime pay or transportation, which they said posed risks to their safety.
In a separate move, Dimba announced the reopening of Plastmax and Hong Sheing Plastics after confirming that they had addressed previous labour law violations. Both companies were initially shut down by former Minister of Labour Vitumbiko Mumba for failing to comply with labour regulations.
