AfricaPress-Tanzania: FAILURE to provide formal contracts for bus and lorry drivers on long routes risks to bring unrest and mar the country’s economic activities, the government has stated.
The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Youth, Employment and Disabled), Jenista Mhagama registered these fears at a consultative meeting on the various challenges facing long route drivers, bringing together stakeholders in the transport sector and the Registrar of Trade Unions.
She said that the government was concerned that the transport sector, as one of the crucial areas in the country’s economy; needs to ensure it operates in accordance with the laws, especially the Tanzania Employment and Labour Relations Act of 2004.
She said that any situation of unrest in the transportation sector would affect economic growth as drivers carry cargo as well as passengers.
“We have been taking a number of measures to improve drivers’ working conditions, but most of them still work without formal contracts,” the minister noted, directing the regulatory authorities to convene a meeting with bus and lorry owners to seek a consensus on drivers’ contracts.
Such agreement needs to be reached during the meeting and be the framework of punishing any transporters violating the set regulations, the minister underlined.
“We only need to know who is delaying the formalization of drivers’ jobs so that we can take appropriate legal measures against them. Employers should adhere to the set operational standards, regulations, laws and international conventions,” she specified.
The minister directed employers to stop barring workers from introducing workers’ unions at work places,, noting that the unions are vital bridges between employers and employees.
Employers must build a culture of meeting workers regularly to discuss various issues related to their daily operations, she said, affirming that the move would reduce conflicts at work places.
“We need to ensure smooth operation in each of the sectors to maintain the country’s growth pace. The government is determined to maintain the middle-income status and facilitate further growth,” she told the gathering.
Pendo Berege, the Deputy Registrar of Trade Unions at the ministry, said the meeting was meant to discuss various challenges facing transporters and drivers.
