THE Zambian Government has bailed out the financially troubled Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) with funds to offset three months’ salary arrears owed to unionised workers.
Crews Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CRAWUZ) president, Bevis Silumbe and Workers Union of TAZARA (WUTAZ) general secretary, Afrika Mkandawire confirmed this in separate interviews yesterday.
The unionised workers recently threatened to stage a work stoppage following management’s failure to pay them salaries for three months.
The affected workers had not received salaries for September, October and November, 2015.
Mr Silumbe said the unions had been holding meetings with Transport and Communications Minister Kapembwa Simbao who assured them that the Government would settle the workers’ salary arrears.
Mr Silumbe, who said the workers would start getting their salaries this week, also disclosed that the Government had sourced funds to pay the workers their January and February, 2016 salaries.
The Government has in the past four years been providing financial support to TAZARA for payment of its workers as the railway company has been facing numerous challenges in raising revenue from its business.
Mr Silumbe said TAZARA was expected to start operating profitably once its debt and operational challenges were addressed.
He said the railway company should be able to stand on its own and not always turn to the Government for financial assistance.—ZANIS