ILO and Workers' delegates discuss social dialogue in Tanzania

Dar es Salaam (ILO News): The Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) leadership led by the newly elected Secretary General Mr. Yahya Msigwa and the Deputy Chairperson Mr. Quambos Sulle, on 03 March 2017 paid a courtesy call to the ILO Country Office for East Africa, in Dar es Salaam to familiarize themselves with the ILO activities in Tanzania and more specifically strengthening the already existing partnership.

During the visit the Director of CO Dar es Salaam, Dr. Mary Kawar briefed the Secretary General and his entourage on the implementation of the Decent Work Agenda (DWA) in Tanzania and commended TUCTA and its predecessor organizations for leading workers’ movements since 1920s; which was even before the country’s independence.

She advised that ILO itself will turn 100 years in 2019, so it’s time to look at the future as the world of work changes every day, it’s therefore better to adjust to those changes with the right strategies and programs.

“Technological advances, globalization, shifting employment relationships, environmental degradation, demographic determinants and urbanization are all emerging issues that the ILO and TUCTA should be looking at today and in the near future,” she noted.

Dr. Kawar further explained that Decent Work Country Programme, to be developed soon in collaboration with all constituents, will be a stepping-stone in addressing individual workers and national aspirations in terms of seizing the opportunities present in economic growth, poverty reduction thereby contributing to moving Tanzania to a middle income country.

On his part, TUCTA Secretary General, Yahya Msigwa, said the congress is currently the sole federation of Trade Union Movement in the country with a total membership of 600,000 workers only out of more than 20 million workers nationwide, and it has coordination offices in all regions in Tanzania mainland.

Mr. Msigwa stressed on TUCTA’s commitment to continue protecting workers rights for the development of the whole nation.

“TUCTA is and will continue to promote and defend the interests of workers through all means and ways including promoting social dialogue and advocacy for decent work and for harmonized labour relations at all levels,” he said.

He mentioned some of the challenges faced by TUCTA including limited financial capacity, tapping membership from the growing informal sector, improving the working conditions of workers, and inadequate knowledge of their members about labour matters.

The Employment Specialist, Mr. Jealous Chirove briefed the visitors on the ILO areas of work under employment promotion component as guided by ILO convention No.122, which calls on countries to actively promote comprehensive employment frameworks to ensure decent work for all. These include - Supporting the drafting of the National Employment Policy 2017-2025, skills development, especially for youth, where ILO in collaboration with VETA introduced the Recognition of Prior Learning, (RPL) programme (Targeting 5000 youth for this year) and the Formal Apprenticeship Programme in the tourism sector and Enterprise development, in particular for youth and women. He emphasized for TUCTA’s participation in these activities as one of the three main players in the employment and labour sector.

Other technical overviews provided to the visiting team included – Social protection, social dialogue and strengthening tripartism and labour standards.

To date there are 24 total number of Trade unions in Tanzania but only 13 are affiliated to TUCTA. Efforts to get the rest unions to join are underway after membership conditions are fulfilled.