Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Commission for Mediation and Arbitration (CMA) has urged employment agents across the country to act responsibly and ensure that all workers they place in jobs receive their rights without any doubt.
Commission’s Director Usekelege Mpulla also called on domestic workers to ensure that whenever they go to work in any location, they identify the nearest CMA offices and report any challenges they face so that proper procedures can be followed to resolve their grievances.
Mr Mpula was speaking yesterday in Dodoma while closing a workshop for Employment Agents organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) under the project Promoting Awareness and Improving Working Conditions for Domestic Workers as Service Providers.
Coordinated by Chiku Semfuko, the training involved CHODAWU, the Tanzania Employment Agents Association (TRAA), and officers from the Ministry of Labour and CMA.
The training covered various topics, including labour laws, employment contracts—particularly ILO Convention C189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers—gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace, and CMA’s role in ensuring justice for domestic workers.
Mr Mpulla said agents must understand the importance of CMA and provide correct information to the workers they recruit.
“When you bring domestic workers from different regions, ensure you give them essential information. If they are going to work in a particular region, make sure you introduce them to the CMA office in that area and explain its responsibilities,” he said.
“I always say CMA is like a hospital—when employers and employees injure one another, we are the doctors mandated to treat them. A domestic worker must know where the CMA office is, because this is extremely important in times of challenges.”
He added that ILO’s decision to prioritise domestic workers demonstrates recognition and respect for their contribution, and that CMA is ready to implement ILO standards fairly and without discrimination.
“The government does not discriminate, and we always work that way. If you need our services, use the opportunity. We are ready to serve you and give you your rights without harming anyone,” he said.
CHODAWU Secretary-General, Mr Saidi Wamba, urged employment agents to use the knowledge acquired from the training, saying it is crucial for improving their service delivery and protecting workers seeking employment.
He said the workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of legally registered agents whose work involves connecting domestic workers with employers both within and outside the country.
“These are the people responsible for sourcing workers and placing them with employers. But one must ask: do these agents fully understand the workers they recruit? They must be equipped with knowledge and tools to assess the workers,” he said.
He added that agents must also properly understand the employers they serve, as they carry a national responsibility.
“You may unknowingly send a worker to a dangerous environment where they suffer harm. Agents must demonstrate responsibility beyond earning an income, recognising the significant role they play in the lives of Tanzanians,” he stressed.
Speaking on behalf of the participating employment agents, Mr Mussa Bausi, Operations Manager at Sasy Solutions—a company specialising in overseas job placement—thanked ILO for bringing them together for the training, which he said exposed them to crucial knowledge including domestic workers’ employment contracts and workers’ rights.
He said before the training, he was unaware of many legal requirements and the standards expected in domestic work.
“A domestic worker must have formal employment relations. They should not simply be treated as relatives or informal helpers. They must be recognised as workers under proper employment arrangements,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to ILO, CHODAWU and the Prime Minister’s Office—Labour and Employment—for ensuring that employment issues are handled fairly and without gender-based abuse.
Meanwhile, Ms Asha Mabote, Secretary of the Association of Domestic Employers, thanked ILO, CHODAWU and the government for organising the training, which she said will help improve professionalism among employers.
“We have learnt many important things. Previously, we didn’t know that domestic workers are entitled to weekly rest of at least 24 hours, annual leave, and written legal contracts. We have learnt a lot and we promise to implement everything,” she said.
She added that once their association is formally registered, they will ensure regular training for employers and domestic workers to strengthen contractual compliance, protect workers’ rights, ensure health and safety, and prevent excessive working hours.
One of the domestic workers who attended the workshop, Neomensia Dimoso from Dar es Salaam—also a peer educator—thanked ILO for bringing workers and agents together, saying it helped highlight long-standing challenges faced by domestic workers during job placements.
