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Trade unionist warns foreign employers
2006-01-30 08:02:58
By Gerald Kitabu
TUICO regional secretary, (Kinondoni) Jones Majura said yesterday that work contracts favouring foreign investors at the expense of local staff should be put under spotlight.
Speaking at a meeting of workers of Tanzania and China Friendship Textile ( Urafiki) Ltd, Majura said a special department at the Tanzania Investment Centre,which would educate and lay down rules and by-laws that protect local staff from ’harassment’ by investors, should be established.
The meeting discussed among other things, ’harassment’ and violation of rules and regulations of investment contracts, as sources of strikes at workplaces.
’It is surprising that investors are ready to violate laws of the country and even human rights so as to make profits,’ said Majura.
He said the law is clear on payments of taxes but says nothing on contracts pertaining to the workers’ welfare.
’Investors are interested in production and realization of profit but would never care about the claims and problems of their workers. Some of them force their workers to work during public holidays and threaten to sack them if they don’t turn-up,’ he said.
Earlier, Urafiki workers complained that the management violated collective bargaining agreement, and breached signed contracts while paying them meager salaries.
At the end of their meeting, it was agreed that workers would work for eight hours only without overtime.
Their salaries would be raised from 50,000/- to 120,000/- per month, while Chinese workers would be removed from the positions that can be held by local staff.
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