By Isaac Zulu
Unionised workers at TAZARA on the Zambian side, have gone without salaries for three months now, with some threatening to stage a sit-in protest if this is not addressed by the end of the week.
Workers Union of TAZARA general secretary Jacob Lombe confirmed the development in an interview with Daily Revelation media, saying unionised workers at the railway company are mounting pressure on the union leaders, owing to the three months’ salary arrears.
He said the labour unions at TAZARA on the Zambian side have on several occasions been engaging government, through the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, to ensure that employees are paid their salaries; but what they have been getting are promissory notes.
“And just three weeks ago, we had some engagement
with the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Logistics. And what he told us is that he is working on TAZARA workers’ salary arrears. Unfortunately, our unionized workers are referring to this as promissory notices,” Lombe explained. “As union leaders, we have told our members to exercise some patience with management and the Ministry, because there are some assurances by the permanent secretary that our issue will be attended to, most probably in the next few days.”
And Lombe has urged the Ministry of Transport and Logistics to find a lasting solution to the continued delay to pay salaries to TAZARA workers, adding that the said scenario only obtains on the Zambian side.
“It is very rare that the Ministry of Transport and Logistics pays TAZARA employees on time. The government only pays TAZARA workers when we are in arrears and there’s pressure from workers; not only here in Mpika, but in all districts in Zambia where TAZARA has its presence.
“Already we are in three months’ salary arrears,” Lombe said. “So the government should find a lasting solution to the endless delayed payment of monthly salaries for the workers.”
He said the Zambian government should take a leaf from their Tanzanian counterparts, who have incorporated salaries in the national budget.
“You will never hear of non-payment of salaries for TAZARA workers on the Tanzanian side because that government has ensured that TAZARA employees’ salaries are incorporated in the national budget. That is
what the Zambian government should equally do,” said Lombe.
And speaking on behalf of the affected workers, Samson Banda disclosed that employees at the railway company are running out of patience, adding that happens by the end of this week; some unionized workers will be left with no option but to down tools.
“We have got families to look after and we cannot go for months without salaries. We have been patient enough, but we are slowly running out of patience. And if nothing happens before the e
