TAZARA warns striking workers
…as workers insist on being paid overdue salaries
THE
strike by unionised TAZARA workers throughout the country has entered its eighth day with management threatening to punish any workers who would not immediately report back for work.
In a circular obtained by the Daily Nation, dated April 17, 2019, TAZARA Managing Director, Bruno Ching’andu, appealed to the workers to call off the ‘illegal’ strike as the issue of delayed salaries was being addressed. Mr Ching’andu said it was unfortunate that the workers had not heeded the various appeals by management to resume work and that the strike had affected the normal operations of the company. Meanwhile, Police officers from Mpika Police in riot gear on Thursday dispersed striking Tazara workers who had gathered at the company premises. And Workers Union of Tazara (WUTAZ) president, Bedwin Mulowa, said the threats by management to discipline workers who fail to immediately report for work were unfair. Mr Mulowa said the workers, through the two unions, made several attempts to engage management on the issue of non-payment of salaries before the matter became tense but the management did not treat the matter seriously and never expressed interest in dialogue. ‘‘Threats by management to discipline workers who fail to report for work is very unfair because workers, through the union leadership, have made attempts to meet management over the issue of salaries but they did not take the matter seriously,” he said. “We are talking about workers who have not been paid since January 2019 and you expect them to work on an empty stomach?’’ Mr Mulowa queried. Mr Mulowa said workers and management could not agree during a meeting called by the Labour Commissioner because workers insisted that they would only resume once their demands were met.