Persecuted by the government, informal workers in Malawi take a stand

Last week the repression of street traders in Malawi turned violent, as municipal officials in the city of Blantyre burned down vending stalls at a popular market. The Malawi Union for the Informal Sector (MUFIS), a War on Want partner organisation, is helping these informal workers gain compensation for their losses - and challenging the systematic persecution of those living on the margins of society.

On the morning of 11 August, street traders in the city of Blantyre in Malawi discovered that their stalls at a main city market had been burned to the ground by city officials. The stalls were the main source of income for these workers, who are part of the country's informal economy, a growing sector which supports millions of Malawians. The majority of the stalls that were set alight were run by women and youth with few job prospects.

Since adopting a series of liberal trade policies in the 1990s, Malawi's economy has suffered. Unable to compete with foreign imports, the Malawian industrial sector virtually collapsed, thrusting millions of workers into the informal economy, where they sell everything from handmade clothing to spare motor parts. Only 12% of the Malawian labour force is currently employed in the formal sector.

The workers' rights group MUFIS was founded in 2001 to support the rapidly growing number of workers in the informal economy. Without formal representation or bargaining power, many informal workers were being deprived of their basic rights and faced constant harassment. Through their national mobilisation campaign, MUFIS has grown considerably since its founding. The group now has 52 branches across Malawi and represents 6,500 workers. In addition to training street traders on their rights, MUFIS has also developed a platform for disenfranchised workers to express their concerns to policymakers.

In the days since the fire at Blantrye market, MUFIS officials have called on the government to compensate informal workers for their losses. MUFIS is also demanding protection for all informal workers from health hazards as well as acts of violence from government officials. War on Want stands by MUFIS's call for the protection of street traders, and expresses its support for all Malawian informal workers fighting for their rights.