Workers of the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) hold their hands together in a show of solidarity when they announced a seven-day strike in Dar es Salaam yesterday. PHOTO | SAID KHAMIS
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A thousand plus workers of Tazara abandon duty effective today to put pressure on their management to pay them outstanding salaries
Dar es Salaam. Over 1500 workers of the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) have announced a seven-day strike over non-payment of salaries for five months.
The strike, which starts today, involves only Tanzanian workers and they vowed to lay tools down indefinitely if they are not to receive their salaries once the seven-day ultimatum expires.
The decision to stage the strike was reached yesterday at a meeting organised by the Tanzania Rail Workers Union (Trawu) in Dar es Salaam. President of Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (Tucta) Mr Gratian Mukoba and his secretary general, Mr Nicholous Mgaya, attended the meeting and blessed the boycott.
Mr Mgaya told Tazara workers that salary is a fundamental right to every worker and it’s unconstitutional for an employer not to pay his employees.
“For that, we must know our value and defend it come what may. We should not be intimidated by any one from the Tazara management or government,” he stressed.
Tucta president Mr Mukoba said seven days is a reasonable time for authorities to work on the matter. “Since August last year you received no penny from your employer, the thought of it alone is heart wrenching … this (strike) might wake them up and the time is now,” he said.
Trawu national chairman Mr Musa Kalala said Tazara workers were now at a point of no return.
“For the first time we are convening outside Tazara premises to discuss work related matters, and it’s not that we have lots of money, but because the management denied us our right of association and gathering at our work station,” he said.
About 400 workers attended the meeting and agreed to strike in unison.
Tazara managing director Ronald Phiri avoided commenting on the matter saying he has no idea of the strike. “I can’t say anything. I have no any idea,” he briefly replied.
The workers of the Chinese-built 1,860 km railway in recent years have been going with no salary for months causing regular strikes.
