Tazara ready to settle pay dispute with employees

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) says it has already secured money to pay its striking employees.

This comes after the striking members of staff prompted paralysis of train services between Dar es Salaam to New Kapiri Mposhi and Nakonde Stations since last week.

The Tazara head of public relations, Mr Conrad Simuchile made assurance in a statement and harboured hopes that normalcy will soon be restored.

 “We hope to resume our services between Zambia and Tanzania soon,” he stressed.

Late last week, he claimed that the decision to suspend the services was down to a sudden withdrawal of labour by unionised employees in Zambia, who were demanding their October and November salaries.

The suspension of the services implied that the Mukuba Express Train that was due to run from New Kapiri Mposhi to Dar es Salaam on December 5, this year, did not go according to plan.

Mr Simuchile further said that similarly, the Kilimanjaro Ordinary Train that is currently running southbound from Dar es Salaam to New Kapiri Mposhi was also not able to proceed beyond Mbeya Station in Tanzania.

However, he said that currently while the unionised employees continue to stay away from work, they have mobilised management staff to run freight trains in the Zambian region.

“Freight trains are running as planned, but passenger train operations in Zambia remain suspended until further notice,” he said.