Tazara workers want JK's audience on arrears.

  Threaten to go on strike

Tanzania and Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara).

Workers of the Tanzania and Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) yesterday requested President Jakaya Kikwete to order the Ministry of Finance to pay all their salary arrears before he leaves office.

They owe the government salary arrears of seven months now, a problem that they say needs the president’s intervention.

 

Addressing a workers conference yesterday in Dar es Salaam, the chairman of the Tanzania Railway Workers Union (TRAWU), Musa Kalala, said they intended to go on strike unless they are paid their salary arrears.

He said they had not been paid their full salaries for January, May, August and September. However, for the months of March, April and June they were paid half of their salaries, he noted, declaring:

 

“We will go on strike if the government fails to heed our plea by paying our salaries because it is difficult to work when you are hungry.” 

 

He said for the government to operate well, Tazara was supposed to run on its own for sustainable development.

 

He called upon the new management of Tazara to make efforts in reviving the authority because the past one was full of bureaucracy.

 

According to him, they have noticed efforts made by President Kikwete who had talks with the Zambian President early this year aiming to revive Tazara but he still needs to do something.

 

‘President Kikwete travelled to Zambia for a two-day meeting on February 25 and 26 this year. He met his Zambian counterpart President Edgar Lungu to  discuss Tazara and we hope that what was decided should be implemented ,” he said.

 

He said the two leaders discussed the revival of Tazara for the benefit of the two countries and the region. He said they also discussed about the TAZAMA pipe line and the Dar es Salaam port.

 

For his part, the TRAWU Acting Secretary General, Boaz Nyakeke, said TAZARA needs re-investment and a new leadership.  

 

According to him, workers were surprised that Tazara fails to pay salaries, while there are huge volumes of freight that was abundantly available in Tanzania, Zambia, DRC Congo and other countries in the region. 

“We need to revive policies, systems and change the leadership. I am sure all these problems will end up in blaming the recent Tazara leadership that was full of bureaucracy,” he said.

 

The TRAWU Acting Deputy Secretary, Sheikh Shughuli, told The Guardian that if the government’s reaction will not satisfy them, then they will go on strike as their last option.

 

According to him, the Regional General Manager (RGM) of Tanzania,  Fuad Abdallah, has promised to meet with the workers this week to discuss the matter.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN