TAZARA workers have issued a final ultimatum to the government, demanding the clearance of five months’ worth of unpaid salaries by April 10th, or they will initiate a complete shutdown of operations.
In a joint statement released on Tuesday, unions representing TAZARA employees revealed that workers have not been paid since November 2024.
Bevis Silumbwe, President of the Crews and Allied Workers’ Union of Zambia (CRAWUZ), described the situation as unbearable. He stated that the delay in salary payments has pushed workers into debt, financial distress, and mental anguish.
Mr. Silumbwe warned that if the full salary arrears are not paid by the stated deadline, all employees in the Zambia Region will withdraw their labor indefinitely.
The unions have also rejected the government’s proposal to pay K43 million, which would only cover three of the five months owed.
They argued that partial payments will do little to alleviate the suffering of workers.
Meanwhile, Bedwin Malowa, President of the Workers Union of TAZARA (WUTAZ), has appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema for urgent intervention, suggesting that the president may not be fully aware of the severity of the crisis affecting TAZARA workers.
By Prudence Chota
