WE WERE HIGHLY EXPECTANT WITH UPND, BUT THINGS HAVE REMAINED SAME – TAZARA WORKERS

By Isaac Zulu

TAZARA workers have said they were highly expectant when the UPND assumed office, but things have remained the same.

Speaking with Daily Revelation, Workers Union of TAZARA (WUTAZ) general secretary Jacob Lombe, said the problem of salary arrears at TAZARA has continued.

Lombe noted that, with the change of government, TAZARA workers expected that the issue of workers at the railway company going for months without salaries would be the thing of the past, but this is not the case.

“We had some interactions with TAZARA workers on the Zambian side last week. Apparently the prominent demand or recommendation is that they should be addressed by the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, who is the co-chair of the TAZARA Board of Directors together with his counterpart in Tanzania,” said Lombe. “You know with the change of government from PF to UPND, TAZARA workers were highly expectant. Unionised workers at TAZARA expected the UPND administration to do things differently. But unfortunately, TAZARA workers have continued to go for months and months without being paid their salaries… we have continued having salary arrears. And there’s fear among TAZARA workers that the status quo might continue.”

Lombe welcomed the demand by unionised workers at TAZARA to have audience with them and give government’s policy direction on challenges facing the rail company.

He said that from the interactions that union leaders had with TAZARA workers last week from Kapiri Mposhi district to Nakonde, the salient recommendation from employees is that government, through the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, should address them so that they share their concerns on their plight and, consequently, get to hear government’s plan with regard to addressing the perennial delayed payment of salaries to TAZARA employees.

He also said that the interaction between the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Logistics will go a long way in clarifying speculations among TAZARA workers that their union leaders are failing to represent them effectively.

“As you know, being union leaders, we are just the go between the government and unionised TAZARA workers. So having an interaction between the permanent secretary and employees will present an opportunity to clarify that we are in fact representing our membership at TAZARA effectively, unlike the perception that some of them might have,” said Lombe.

And Lombe disclosed that TAZARA workers have also demanded that all speeches to be delivered during this year’s Labour Day should have a component that will highlight “the plight of TAZARA workers.”

“The rationale is to bring to the attention the numerous operational challenges facing TAZARA and the plight of TAZARA workers to the government, to the Executive arm of government,” added Lombe.