AfricaPress-Tanzania: DAR ES SALAAM workers have commended the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) for defending the workers’ right to secure employment during ongoing turbulent times.
In a random interview on Friday, they said there was a need for increasing public awareness on the disease through mass media.
Mr Jackson Lijawa said TPSF protected its image and honour by defending openly the right of workers to secure employment during this period when some employers were tempted to fire workers arbitrarily.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is not the creation of workers. Why should they be victimised? TPSF deserves praise for seeing this truth and defending workers’ rights,” he argued.
He said Tanzanian workers belonged to extended families, explaining that sacking one worker without justification would cause misery to many dependants on the salary of the sacked worker.
He called on Tanzanian workers to work hard to reciprocate TPSF and government’s stand on protecting workers from unfair sacking.
Ms Martha Thomson said employers must ensure workers were protected from contracting the disease.
“While we salute the TPSF and the government on the timely stand on secure employment, employers must make sure workers do not contract the disease in the workplace. It is good to remain in employment. It is even better to remain in employment without contracting the disease from fellow workers,” she said.
She noted that the private sector should use it financial leverage and use the mass media to increase public awareness on the disease countrywide.
“The private sector has a big stake in a safe Tanzania, especially during this time of the pandemic,” she argued.
Mr Michael Muganga called on the TPSF to use its influence to ensure workers got protective gear against coronavirus.
“While we thank TPSF for siding with workers, we appeal to it to ensure workers get protective gear so that they do not contract the disease in the workplace and spread it to their families. Healthy workers will do their work professionally and happily,” he argued.
He said the TPSF should think of upcountry entrepreneurs who, he said, were complaining about lack of knowledge on the pandemic.
“Reports from upcountry show that people do not have sufficient information on the disease. The TPSF should also think of these people,” he suggested.
Mr Seif Almas said workers were doing their work with a peace of mind because of the common stand of the TPSF, the Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE), and the government relating to secure the employment of Tanzanian workers during this trying period.
“I am proud of being a Tanzanian because the TPSF, ATE and the government have all agreed that workers must not be cunningly fired and their benefits should not be encroached on because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It makes this nation united,” he said.
Ms Neema Joram said TPSF’s stand on workers’ secure employment was timely.
“Some of us are in a tricky industry. We produce building materials. There are very few specialised industries of this nature. The kind of work we do here is not found in many places in Tanzania because it is highly specialised,” she said.
Recently, in a meeting jointly organised by the TPSF and ATE, TPSF Chairperson, Angelina Ngalula appealed to employers in the private sector to refrain from firing workers using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse.
The stand was supported by the ATE Managing Director, Dr Aggrey Mlimuka.
