Maravi

TAZARA workers will not be undermined - union leader

TAZARA workers will not be undermined - union leader
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Sat 15 Jan. 2011, 04:00 CAT

WORKERS Union of TAZARA vice-president Aaron Tiza says the aggrieved workers will not be undermined for demanding their rights to safety attire and other conditions of service.

Commenting on Tanzania Zambia Railways Authority (TAZARA) head of public relations Conrad Simuchile’s statement that their strike was a deliberate attempt to sabotage the operations of the company, Tiza on Thursday asked Simuchile to shut up.

“We are asking him to shut up. It’s embarrassing for management to present itself against the union in The Post. We are disappointed with the public relations manager who is defaming workers by calling them saboteurs,” said Tiza.

Tiza said some workers in TAZARA had worked for over 30 years and could not be called saboteurs today.

“The head-public relations should know that managers go but workers remain. We’re asking the MD managing director to tell the public relations manager, Mr Simuchile, to shut up and not to draw the workers in a public fight through the media,” said Tiza.

“If workers’ problems were attended to, truly were they going to be on go-slow? He (Simuchile) himself is a saboteur who wants the workers to react. The workers will not be undermined for demanding their rights over safety attires and any conditions of service.”

Tiza said TAZARA workers were very dedicated to work so as to see the company improve, hence the increased tonnage it had hauled.

TAZARA workers are demanding Leave Travel Assistance, safety attire which have not been given to them for three years and a salary increase.

Simuchile in a statement from Tanzania stated that the workers flouted procedure for presenting grievances and that there was no compelling reason to warrant withdrawal of their labour.

He said TAZARA management was urging unionised workers in Kapiri Mposhi who downed tools this week to respect procedures and support management in its efforts to turn the company around.

“It is worth noting that while management is doing all it can to turn around the company, this steady stride towards a turn-around is being thwarted by deliberate attempts to sabotage the operations of the company, such as the illegal work stoppages recorded in the recent past in Mbeya, Dar es Salaam and now Kapiri Mposhi,” he stated.

Labels: LABOUR, TAZARA

posted by MrK @ 8:37 AM