Tanzania Union of Industrial and Commercial Workers (TUICO) is up in arms with the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) over a decision by the latter to sack its President, Mr Ayoub Omary, who also happens to be the National Chairman of the former.
At a news conference in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, the Secretary General of TUICO, Mr Boniface Nkakatisi, said the ouster did not follow the proper channels. ”Mr Ayoub is a legitimate member of TUICO and therefore his sacking from TUCTA is a humiliation for TUICO as a union which proposed him for the position,” Mr Nkakatisi remarked.
He appealed to the Secretary General of TUCTA to defend the constitution and regulations of the congress in a bid to further strengthen solidarity among trade unions in the country.
“TUCTA should deal with trade unions which have not met the required minimum number of members to be eligible to join the congress, as well as those which have not been paying requisite annul membership fees,” the TUICO Secretary General stated.
He also took issues with leadership TUCTA for allegedly violating the constitution of the congress by allowing leaders who have reached retirement age to continue serving.
“If TUCTA does not address our grievances then it would be evident that TUICO is being humiliated and segregated by the congress and we may reconsider our membership in TUCTA,” he warned.
TUICO has about 45,000 members in the industrial and commercial sectors countrywide. Mr Nkakatisi is, however, of a view that the membership could be as higher as 600,000 save for lack of awareness amongst workers and reluctance by some employers to allow their workers to join trade unions.
By ALVAR MWAKYUSA, Tanzania Daily News
