- Conference
- 2011 National Black Members' Conference
- Date
- 6 September 2010
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes in a Channel 4 documentary titled “Unreported World” how the programme revealed the tight grip that tobacco manufacturers have on the Malawi people. Most major brand cigarettes are produced using Malawian tobacco owing to its preferred texture. According to a BBC news report Malawi accounts for 140,000 tonnes of the world’s annual output of 5.7 million tonnes of tobacco, yet Malawi only has a population of 10 million people whose economy is heavily dependent on the tobacco crop.
Malawi is considered as one of the poorest nations in the world. However it earns 165 million dollars a year through tobacco, which represents more than two-thirds of its annual foreign revenue.
The documentary identified a young family of seven who earn the equivalent of £18 per year for picking the farmer’s daily quota of 1.5 carts of tobacco a day, this equates to three packets of cigarettes. An abysmal wage such as this makes it impossible for the Malawian people to dig their way out of a poverty trap. Subsequently parents through desperation allow their children to work for tobacco farmers by harvesting tobacco leaves and because farm owners are looking for cheap labour some farmers are prepared to go as far as trafficking children, this is regardless of the fact that child labour is illegal in Malawi and anyone found guilty by the Ministry of Labour is likely to face prosecution with up to 5 years imprisonment. Unfortunately to-date no one has been sent to prison for employing children even when the authorities are aware of the culprits.
One 9 year old boy complained of severe headaches whilst working in the field, these headaches are usually associated with high dosage of nicotine being absorbed into the skin, causing nicotine poisoning. Other symptoms include coughs and chest problems arising from the tobacco leaves dust. No protective clothing is issued and occasionally supervisors beat the children and withhold food from them in order to persuade the children to work, albeit that the children are only allowed one meal a day.
British American Tobacco (BAT) one of the major consumers acknowledge that there is a problem but have insisted that they do not employ children in any of their operations worldwide. However owing to the structure of the tobacco industry in Malawi BAT is unable to work directly with farmers to ensure that standards are maintained. In addition BAT has confirmed that it has invested 7 million US dollars on projects in Malawi to stop exploitation that deprives children of education and risks their health.
Conference condemns the exploitation of children in the cigarette industry of Malawi for putting children’s health at risk and denying them the opportunity of a basic education in Malawi where primary education is free. Unfortunately because of working in tobacco farms most children fail their exams therefore they have little or no future and remain in a vicious cycle of poverty, this cannot continue. We must establish ways of protecting the interest of Malawian children.
Conference instructs the National Black Members Committee (NBMC) to:
1.Liaise with the National Executive Council (NEC), the Trade Union Council, the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU), the International Tobacco Growers Association and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to raise awareness of the issues faced by Malawi children employed by tobacco farmers.
2.Work with the International Committee to campaign for robust enforcement labour laws in Malawi that enables reporting of exploited children by tobacco farmers.
3.Liaise with relevant bodies including Save the Children to campaign against child trafficking in Malawi and establish a strategy of protecting the education, health, safety and wellbeing of children who are providing assistance on family run tobacco farms.