Annual report on Nyasaland / Colonial Office.

  • Great Britain. Colonial Office.
Date:
[1954]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on Nyasaland / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    38/170 (page 32)
    Subsidiary legislation included a new minimum wage order providing for a minimum wage for unskilled male African workers within townships of ls-4d per day, and Is per day in all other areas; another order provided for minimum wages for tailors employed in the Central Province; new forms of the record of wage payments required to be kept by employers under the African Employment Ordinance were prescribed; migrant workers proceeding to the Eastern Province of Northern Rhodesia were exempted from the necessity of being in possession of workbooks for the reason that they pass freely to and fro over the border between their own villages and the estates in that Province of Northern Rhodesia, and are not absent from their homes for more than a few months at a time; and the usual closed seasons for the recruitment of labour for work abroad were prescribed. Safety, Health and Welfare An additional Factory Inspector and Surveyor of Ships was appointed during the year. Factory legislation continued to operate smoothly. The actual number of factories has remained approximately the same, but many have been extended and additional plant installed, with the result that the number of persons employed in factories has increased, and is now estimated at approximately 11,000. The accident rate is low, and only 11 accidents, all of a minor nature, were reported to the Factories Board during the year. In all cases the Board was satisfied that the accidents were due to carelessness or inattention, and were not due to any breach of the Factories Rules by the occupiers of the factory concerned. The requirements of the Factories Board in respect of safety precautions in factories are enforced by two Factory Inspectors. No cases of occupational disease or dermatitis were reported to the Board. The provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance apply to workmen employed in every form of occupation except that of private domestic service. The number of claims handled by officers of the Labour Department continues to increase each year. This is due to increasing awareness of the legislation rather than to any inordinate increase in the number of accidents. No serious epidemics occurred amongst the working population. Medical Officers of Health are stationed in each district, and they are always ready when requested to give practical advice to employers regarding such matters as sanitation and housing. Health Inspectors have been appointed by the Blantyre and Limbe local authorities. Minimum standards of housing have been laid down for the townships, and attention is being given to the provision of proper sanitation. All Africans are entitled to free medical treatment at all Federal Government hospitals, health units and dispensaries. Most of the larger estates maintain dispensaries of their own, and in addition all employers are required to provide their employees with medical attention during illness, where the illness is caused by the employment,