Transport and Communications Minister Brian Mushimba says government has released K12 million to clear October and November salary arrears for TAZARA workers who downed tools on Tuesday,

The withdrawal of the labour force resulted in the Authority suspending all train services between New Kapiri Mposhi and Nakonde Stations.

But Mushimba told News Diggers yesterday that his ministry had engaged the Ministry of Finance and K12 million had been released to pay the workers.

“As a government we are aware of the challenges that TAZARA workers are facing, we are frantically trying to address those challenges. We have many initiatives that we have continued to explore and implement to avoid such incidents and when they happen as unfortunately as they are, we try to address them in the most capable way in order to normalize the situation in the institution. When I received the report of employees downing their tools, I quickly reignited the conversation we have been having with Ministry of Finance to find resources to pump into TAZARA. And as at now, Ministry of Finance has with immediate effect released the monies for the October November salaries for our employees at TAZARA so that they can get back to work as we look at long term solution to the challenges that, that institution that is very important to government faces,” said Mushimba.

His labour counterpart Joyce Nonde Simukoko also told Parliament today that the K12 million had been wired to TAZARA and it was expected that the workers would resume work by the end of the day.

“I know that the bank has already received the money and the money will be received by the TAZARA authorities by Monday. My ministry has appealed to the workers to call off the strike as it is illegal. The government has already responded and I hope by the end of the day, I will get the report from the labour commissioner that the workers have resumed,” said Simukoko.