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Urafiki workers threaten fresh strike
2006-01-09 08:41:25
By Sabato Kasika
Workers of the Urafiki Textile Mills (Urafiki) in Dar es Salaam have threatened to lay down tools again if the management does not honour their demands within two weeks beginning today.
The decision was reached yesterday during an emergency meeting convened by TUICO’s Urafiki’s leadership branch held at the Urafiki Development Hall, that brought together more than 700 workers to deliberate on their fate.
Workers jointly agreed to down tools should Urafiki’s management cling to its recently increased work hours, from the normal eight hours to twelve hours.
Speaking to The Guardian moment after the meeting, TUICO Urafiki Branch Chairman Andrew Chalange highlighted on the need for the company to review workers’ remuneration.
He said wages paid to workers could not make ends meet resulting into poverty, which undermines efficiency among the workers.
’We have decided to convene this meeting to tell our members about the real situation so that they decide as we have been discussing the workers demands with the Mill’s top management without reaching a consensus,’ he said.
Chalange said the workers unanimously decided to strike if the management will not listen to the workers demands.
He said since the management established a joint venture with the Chinese in 1997, workers-management misunderstandings have reigned as the management often turn a deaf ear to workers’ demands and insisted that they should work for 12 hours a day.
Chalange urged the workers to work hard while TUICO and other relevant bodies sought out solutions to problems experienced at the company.
He said the Urafiki management was invited to attend the meeting but not a single official turned up.
Efforts to contact Urafiki’s management to comment on the matter yesterday became futile.
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