International Workers’ Day marked in Tanzania

Dar es Salaam (ILO NEWS) - TANZANIA President, Dr. John P. Magufuli has reiterated his mission to improve workers conditions saying it’s among his top priorities for his five years tenure.

The President made the remarks as he was addressing thousands of workers who thronged the grounds at the capital city, Dodoma to mark the International workers day 2016.

In his speech, Dr. Magufuli stressed on the importance of formal employment contracts for workers, insisting that the labour laws, which were reviewed in 2004, must be observed seriously and stern measures should be taken for employers who disobey them. The laws also provide for the right for employers and employees to form and/or join trade unions of their choice.

“(…) I promised earlier to improve workers’ working conditions including increase in salaries, reduction of taxes, provision of working tools etc. (…) this still stands” he stated.

As regards social security schemes, the President announced his approval of merging some of the five state run pension funds to form fewer number of financially robust schemes urging for more workers to join and contribute to the funds. He warned employers from public as well as private sectors to submit their workers’ contributions in time.

The Secretary General to the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA), Mr. Nicholaus Mgaya, in his speech, indicated the union’s support to the Government’s efforts to restore discipline among public servants.

“We cannot tolerate corruption, laziness, and lack of integrity among workers … the government should remain committed in dealing with those who cause losses to the country as per the law” he said.

He further argued that workers were an important asset in the world of work and their contributions to building the economy should not be undermined.
“The country’s economic growth is currently improving at 7%, this should be reflected on the lives of workers who are the main contributors to national development” he said.

Labour Day

On her part, the Director of the ILO Office for Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, Ms. Mary Kawar said as Tanzania join other countries to celebrate this year’s May Day, majority of the employed population are working under difficult situations.

“More than half of the developing world’s workers nearly 1.5 billion people are in vulnerable employment …These workers are less likely than wage earners to have formal working arrangements, be covered by social protection such as pensions and health care or have regular earnings.”

Ms Kawar acknowledged the efforts done by Tanzania government to create jobs for youth quoting the recently released Integrated Labour Force Survey report of 2014 which showed that the economy had created 3.4 Million jobs in 8 years.

“We salute Tanzania’s endeavour in creating those jobs. It is imperative, in the same vein, that we also need to improve conditions for working women and men who are working but not earning enough to lift themselves and their families out of poverty,” she noted.

Speaking on the ILO’s Future of work initiative, Ms. Kawar informed the audience that the world is now experiencing several forces which are transforming work, from technological developments, impact of climate change, to the changing character of production and employment etc. She therefore called upon the workers and employers to think about the “future of workers”.