Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) workers on the Zambian side have threatened to go on strike, following management’s failure to pay them salaries for the last five months.
Crews and Allied Workers Union of TAZARA (CRAWUZ) President, Bevis Silumbe says the workers on the Zambian side of the railway firm co-owned with Tanzania have lost patience following management’s failure to settle salary arrears despite numerous appeals and efforts to dialogue over the matter.
During a meeting addressed by Kapiri Mposhi District Commissioner Francis Hasalama, who spoke on behalf of Minister of Transport and Logistics Frank Tayali, Mr Silumbe appealed to the government to aid the TAZARA management in paying workers their salaries, in order to avoid disruption.
Mr Silumbe complained that it is unfair that TAZARA workers on the Zambian side have been going months without pay, while their Tanzanian counterparts who have since been included on the typical government payroll, are up-to-date with salaries and other emoluments.
Mr Silumbe has asked the Zambian government to consider including TAZARA workers on the government payroll and address long standing operational challenges of railway companies to enable it to sustainably pay workers salaries.
Meanwhile, some workers of TAZARA have appealed to the government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to come to their aid, as they’ve been evicted from their houses and are failing to fend for their families due to unpaid salaries.
But Kapiri Mposhi District Commissioner Francis Hasalama has implored the workers not to proceed on strike but allow government and TAZARA management to mobilized funds to settle the salary arrears
Life in upnd government is tough
News that pleases Given Lubinda and once un couth Kaizar
But PF mwandi, for ten years they could not sort out TAZARA issues, Ten wasted years
I just can’t believe that rail industry is unprofitable in Zambia amidst dilapidated road network, I just can’t! The cost of maintenance of a railway asset per kilometer per ton of cargo is a small fraction of a road highway infrastructure. One wanders if there is any body home. Hello??
PF LEGACY AS USUAL RAISING ITS HEAD
THEY HAVE REALLY LEFT US IN A MESS
MORE WILL COME TO LIGHT SHORTLY I’M SURE
Not surprising, TAZARA was greatly mismanaged by the rejected PF regime
Its anger from the past reckless PF regime, obviously with the new found liberties and freedoms, workers now feel they can vent their frustrations out. Legacy issues from PF
When Will you clowns stop blaming pf and for once grow up and tale responsibility? If you have failed why don’t you just bow out of leadership so that serious people take over
@Eagle
My dear friend the problem is African Politicians too much blah blah blah
Life without Nkandu Luo.
Alebwelelapo pa mupando…..
No 5 TOTALLY AGREE
” LIFE IN upnd” TOUGH ???? – WHO CAUSED THE PROBLEM ???? – THEY WOULD NOT DARE TO HAVE GONE ON STRIKE UNDER PF WHO WOULD HAVE BEATEN THEM UP. ONE WORD ” FREEDOM”
UPND WILL SORT THE PROBLEMS BUT ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY – SOME OF YOU BLOGGERS DO YOU REALLY CARE FOR ZAMBIA I WONDER;;;
BUT THEN AGAIN FREEDOM OF SPEECH – DIFFERENT VIEWS – THAT IS FREEDOM.
WORKERS AT TAZARA HAVE GONE FOR 5 SOLID MONTHS WITHOUT PAY. THIS MEANS THE PF LEFT THE PROBLEM HANGING IN THIN AIR AND NOW WORKERS ARE APPEALING TO GOVT BAILOUT. EVERY WHERE ONE TOUCHES THERE ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS WHICH PF LEFT UNSOLVED.
What I can’t understand is how workers can even contemplate to go on strike considering the status of TAZARA, they’ll just worsen the situation. Further, how can Management fail to find money for salaries for 5 months and still not engage the workers to explain the cause for that? It seems only Christopher Musonda had the passion and plan to revive TAZARA. He didn’t depend on GRZ funding. There’s still a demand for TAZARA services from Kafue Steel Plant and AVZ Minerals of DRC in excess of 600,000 tons per year. With a focused management they can do better and generate their own income for maintenance of the track and equipment. Whoever fired Musonda won’t see heaven. I advise Frank Tayali to study why Musonda was fired and there are prospects to implement his action plan
Forward mama forward but going backwards!!!!