By OLIVER SAMBOKO
TAZARA workers have expressed confidence that the release of K12.3 Million by government for the repair works at the damaged Chambeshi rail bridge will lead to normalization of operations at the troubled rail company.
Speaking on behalf of others, Ben Mumba said the release of funds for the reconstruction of the rail bridge has brought a sigh of relief to the workers because once the bridge is repaired, operations at the company will normalize.
Mr Mumba said the release of the money is an indication that the new dawn government is committed to ensuring TAZARA gets to its feet and starts contributing to the economic growth of the country.
“The gesture by the UPND government to release the money for reconstruction of the Chambeshi Bridge is not only a show of solidarity to us the workers who have gone for months without salary, but also an indication that the new dawn administration is committed to revamping the operations at TAZARA,” he said.
He explained that since the accident occurred in May, this year the company has been struggling to meet its salary obligations resulting in workers going for months without salaries.
Last week, the Government released K12.3 million for the re-construction of the Chambeshi Railway Bridge which was extensively damaged during a goods train accident on May 13, this year.
Following the damage to the bridge, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority temporarily suspended train movements between new Kapiri-Mposhi and Kasama resulting in the company losing over $1 million per month.
TAZARA workers on the Zambian side have gone five months without salaries, while their Tanzanian counterparts who have since been included on the typical government payroll, are up-to-date with salaries and other emoluments.
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