TAZARA workers threaten strike over unpaid salaries, demand full settlement of arrears (Video)

Workers at the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) have threatened to down tools within 48 hours if the Zambian government fails to settle five months of outstanding salary arrears.

The workers, represented by the Crews and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CRAWUZ) and the Workers Union of TAZARA (WUTAZ), have rejected the K43 million recently released by the government—half of the K86 million required to clear all arrears.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka on Tuesday, CRAWUZ president Bevis Silumbe said workers had engaged the Ministry of Transport and Logistics over the matter but that their plight remained unresolved.

“We have exercised too much patience while making serious engagements at all government levels, but our challenges still remain unresolved,” Silumbe said.

He stressed that the partial payment of three out of five months’ salaries would only deepen workers’ hardships and prolong their suffering.

“In 2015, the TAZARA Board resolved to take over salary obligations until the company became self-sustainable.

“While the Tanzanian government created a budget line to support this, the Zambian side opted to request Treasury funds whenever salaries were due,” Silumbe explained.

Read More: TAZARA workers unimpressed by govt release of K37 million allocation for salary arrears, claim amount insufficient

He recalled that the current government, while in opposition, had condemned such injustices and promised change, raising expectations among workers that salary delays would become a thing of the past.

“As workers, we recognize and appreciate the government’s efforts to revamp TAZARA through concessioning, but in the process of doing so, we need to survive,” he added.

Silumbe appealed directly to President Hakainde Hichilema to intervene and fulfil his campaign promise to uphold workers’ rights.

“We believe the Republican President, His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, may not be fully aware of our situation. We therefore appeal to him to quickly intervene,” he said.

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