Tanzania Zambia Railways Authority (TAZARA) unionized workers have ended their two week-long work protest and have agreed to resume work with immediate effect.
Management had taken over the movement of the trains during this period the workers have been protesting.
The unionized workers from new Kapiri Mposhi to Nakonde TAZARA Railway Station have been protesting since last week to press for the immediate payment of their April and May salaries.
The decision to end the work protest was arrived at yesterday during a consultative meeting between government, management and the union leaders held at TAZARA regional headquarters in Mpika.
The meeting that was attended by Workers Union of Tanzania and Zambia (WUTAZ) leaders and senior managers was chaired by Muchinga Minister Gerry Chanda.
Also in attendance were Mpika district commissioner Moses Katebe and his administrative officer Mumbi Kaweme, among others.
The workers have agreed to resume work as management makes arrangements to pay them their May salaries.
It has been agreed that May salaries be paid by June 7 while the April salaries will be paid later and during this time, all the workers should return to work.
Addressing both management and union leaders in the board room after a closed door meeting with the union leaders, Colonel Gerry Chanda said both parties should ensure that they remain committed to what has been agreed upon.
Colonel Chanda said he will personally get involved to see to it that normal operations resume immediately and that the government is committed to ensuring that the railway company starts operating at full capacity.
And WUTAZ General Secretary Josam Nkhoma assured the minister and management that the unionized workers will resume work with immediate effect.
Mr. Nkhoma however, cautioned management to ensure that it honours its promise to pay the workers their May salary by June 7 while the April salary should also be paid soon.
Earlier TAZARA regional manager Patrick Shangala told the minister that the railway company was committed to paying the workers their salaries but that the process has been delayed due to inadequate funds.
Mr. Shangala said it was unfortunate that workers decided to stage a work protest at the time the company was making improvements in its operations.
He said that currently TAZARA in conjunction with Zambia Railways Limited is moving copper right from Kitwe and Chingola to the port of Dar-es-salaam in Tanzania saying this arrangement will go a long way in boosting the operations of the company hence the need not to disrupt the movement of the trains.
TAZARA has transported more than 15,700 metric tonnes of Copper to the port of Dar-es-salaam in Tanzania on behalf of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) and Impala Warehousing and Logistics (Impala) since the beginning of April 2013.
Records indicate that TAZARA has moved a total of 39,068 metric tonnes of freight between April and May 2013, of which 40 percent (15,733) is Copper and the rest includes other commodities such as maize and fertilisers among others.
In March 2013, TAZARA, ZRL and SNCC, the three railways companies operating in Tanzania, Zambia and Congo DR, jointly signed a tripartite agreement to harmonize operations.
This was meant to facilitate smooth and seamless transportation of goods and passengers by rail amongst the three railway organizations and the respective countries.
The tripartite signing ceremony followed three earlier independent business agreements entered into between the respective parties, TAZARA and SNCC, TAZARA and ZRL as well as ZRL and SNCC.
pay them fast so that they feed their families. More money in their pockets.