Stop the Exploitation of Tobacco Workers in Malawi

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    The Hon. Henry Duncan Phoya, MP, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Private Bag 33, Lilongwe 3, 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.

430 Signatures

  • Marty Otanez
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • San Francisco, California, USA
    • Organisation
    • University of California, San Francisco
    • Comments
    • for additional information see sidewalkradio.net
  • Bryan Farrell
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • New York, USA
    • Organisation
    • В
    • Comments
    • В
  • Dr. Beate Stricker
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Finkenau 1, D-22081 Hamburg
  • Nadja Galwas
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • 22761 Hamburg
    • Organisation
    • Дrzte gegen Tierversuche e.V.
  • S. Debus
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Hamburg, Germany
  • Lindemann, Sebastian
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • germany, Trittau
    • Comments
    • dont buy tobacco, live long and prosper
  • Kozlova, Valentina
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • germany, Trittau
  • Kozlova, Valentina
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • germany, Trittau
  • till lassmann
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • karolinenstr 5a, 20357 hamburg
  • Regine Frerichs
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • 21217 Seevetal
    • Organisation
    • greenpeace
  • Jule Plawitzki
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Lьneburg- Germany
  • axel schmidt
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • germany, 27389 Helvesiek
  • PAJOT BRIGITTE
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • 92190 MEUDON FRANCE
  • Janice Forsythe
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Ottawa, Canada
    • Organisation
    • Cypress Consulting
    • Comments
    • Tobacco workers deserve assistance in transitioning to other crops that will not harm their health and that of others.
  • Dr. Stacey J. Anderson
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Nottingham, England
    • Organisation
    • University of Nottingham
  • Elizabeth Smith
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • San Francisco, CA US
    • Organisation
    • University of California, San Francisco
  • Mele Lau
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • San Francisco, USA
    • Organisation
    • Tobacco Free Project
  • Sonja Vanhove-Deneve
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • 2820 Bonheiden (Belgium)
    • Organisation
    • www.stoppenmetroken.be
    • Comments
    • Great idea, Marty.
  • Ken Dahlgren
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Frewsburg, NY USA
    • Comments
    • End the Exploitation!
  • Adam Dahlgren
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Washington, DC, USA
    • Comments
    • You MUST stop this needless suffering.
  • Larry Fleck
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • United States
  • Alan Rubeck
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • West Seneca, New York
  • Donna Duckworth
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Cassadaga, NY USA
  • Kim Vagadori
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Sacramento, CA / USA
  • Dr. Cйsar A. Di Ggiano
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Moreno 431 C1091AAI Buenos Aires Argentina
    • Organisation
    • Uniуn Antitabбquica Argentina UATA
  • Mervi Hara
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Helsinki, Finland
    • Organisation
    • Finlands ASH
  • Miranda
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Washington, DC, USA
    • Organisation
    • В
    • Comments
    • В
  • Laura Miller
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Berkeley, California, USA
    • Organisation
    • California Youth Advocacy Network
  • Emil Kuruvilla
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Los Anglees
  • Clint Weirick
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Grover Beach, CA, United States of America
  • Dr. Sharon Brown
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Wexford, PA USA
  • Alan Inglis
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • 553 Gregory Terrace, Brisbane, Australia
    • Organisation
    • The Cancer Council Queensland
  • ABDUL HARRIS BIN ABDUL WAHAB
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • PENANG, MALAYSIA
    • Organisation
    • SENIOR MEMBERS AGAINST DRUGS AND TOBACCO
  • Douglas & Gisela Daetz
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Sunnyvale, California, USA
  • Stafford Sanders
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Sydney, Australia
    • Organisation
    • Action on Smoking and Health
  • David Robertson
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Falkirk
    • Organisation
    • FoE Forth Valley
    • Comments
    • Food not tobacco, health not exploitation.
  • Janet Reece
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Birmingham, United Kingdom
  • Adeola Akinremi
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • 1, Balogun Str. Ikeja-Lagos, Nigeria
    • Organisation
    • Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance
  • Seun Akioye
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Enviromental Rights Action , Lagos Nigeria
    • Organisation
    • ERA
  • Phillip Jakpor
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Era, Lagos, Nigeria
    • Organisation
    • ERA
    • Comments
    • You Must end this abuse
  • Sam Vanstrom
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Jamestown, NY, USA
  • David Bard
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Ottawa, Canada
    • Organisation
    • Public Health
    • Comments
    • This issue is VERY important!!
  • Mbimangil Nungisa
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Ottawa
  • Dr. Nathaniel Wander
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Edinburgh, UK
  • Seye OMiyefa
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • 3 Ebun Street Papa Ashafa Agege Lagos NIgeria
    • Organisation
    • YOUth Action On Tobacco COntrol and Health
  • Debra Kelley
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • San Diego, California, USA
  • Phil O'Neill
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • San Francisco, CA
    • Organisation
    • RPCV
    • Comments
    • Teacher, St. Patrick's SS, Limbe, Malawi, 1997-8
  • teunissen frans
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Weert - the Netherlands
  • Erica Phung
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • San Diego, CA, USA
  • Katy Pezzimenti
    • Address (at least city and country)
    • Buffalo, NY USA