TAZARA unionized workers in sit in protest

TAZARA unionized workers in sit in protest

Kapiri Mposhi, May 23, ZANIS ——– Unionized workers at Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) in Kapiri Mposhi have started a sit in protest following the railway company’s delay to pay them their April salaries.

The workers have not been paid their April monthly salaries.

Workers Union of TAZARA (WUTAZ) Coordinating Secretary General, Josam Nkhoma confirmed the development to ZANIS today.

Mr Nkhoma said that the failure in paying them their salaries was as a result of the delay by Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) to effect payment to TAZARA for the transportation of copper to Dar-es-Salaam.

TAZARA and KCM have entered into a contract to transport copper by cargo trains.

Mr Nkhoma attributed the delay in payment of April salaries to the mix-up by KCM in raising an invoice for transportation of copper which was issued to Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) instead of TAZARA.

 “The workers are protesting about the delay by TAZARA to pay them their April salaries, this delay has been caused by the delay by Konkola Copper Mines to effect payment to TAZARA for the transportation of copper to Dar-es- Salaam after a mix-up in the invoice they raised for transportation of copper which was issued in the name of Zambia Railways and not TAZARA …As you may be aware, TAZARA and KCM have entered into a contract to transport copper by cargo trains,” Mr Nkhoma said.

Mr Nkhoma said the sit in protest is only in Kapiri Mposhi while all other TAZARA stations in the country were operating normally.

He disclosed that TAZARA management from both Zambia and Tanzania are traveling to KCM head office to rectify the situation so that workers are paid their salaries.

“The Regional General Manager – Zambia, a Mr Changala, officers from the marketing department and other senior managers from Tanzania are on their way to Lusaka to meet KCM management to resolve the issue,” Nkhoma added.

He said the workers will continue with the sit in protest until they are paid their April salaries.

Mr Nkhoma has however blamed TAZARA management for not detecting the anomalies in the invoices.