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Mpika Constituency lawmaker, Francis Kapyanga, has called for an immediate resolution to salary delays for Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) workers, who are reportedly owed five months arrears.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Mpika, Kapyanga urged the Zambian government to address the issue without further delay and offer a public apology to the affected workers and their families for the hardship caused.
“It is deeply troubling and unacceptable that TAZARA workers have been subjected to five months of unpaid salaries,” Kapyanga said, describing the situation as both inhumane and an egregious form of economic injustice.
The lawmaker emphasized that the prolonged salary delays had severely impacted the families of TAZARA workers, who depend on their income for basic necessities such as food, education, and healthcare.
“This matter has been a perennial problem, and the government must act decisively to clear the arrears and issue a formal apology to the workers and their families, who have endured unimaginable suffering,” he said.
Read More: Govt reportedly owes TAZARA workers three months in salary arrears, says Mpika MP
Kapyanga criticized the government for neglecting its workforce while offering tax holidays to the mining sector, stating that such actions undermine the contributions of public servants who play a crucial role in sustaining economic stability.
He called on the government to implement lasting solutions to ensure salary delays at TAZARA become a thing of the past, emphasizing the need to respect the rights and dignity of workers.
In October 2024, the lawmaker had claimed that the Zambian government was still owing TAZARA workers three months of salary arrears, despite promises to resolve the six-month backlog.
Kapyanga expressed concern over workers’ uncertain future, claiming that only three months of the unpaid salaries had been settled so far.
He called on the government to fulfill its commitment to place TAZARA workers on the government payroll, a pledge made in October 2019 by a ministerial council comprising officials from Zambia and Tanzania.
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