Act on illegal foreign workers, MPs tell govt

BabuK · 2011-08-06T18:46:45+00:00

Members of Parliament yesterday pressed the government to take action against foreigners who get employed through illegal procedures and companies which disregarded local people, saying it was unacceptable. Debating budget estimates for the Ministry of Labour and Employment amounting to 20,963,766,000/-, the MPs said most foreigners denied local people the right to decent employment. Special Seats MP Angela Kairuki said most foreigners got work permits illegally. This is unacceptable and should be fought against because it affects government efforts to fight unemployment in the country, Kairuki noted. She cited Marmo Granito Company in Mbeya, saying there were non-Tanzanians employed as drivers, security guards and welders, jobs which could be done by local people. We will not accept this because as we are struggling to fight unemployment, foreigners are doing the jobs which could be done by Tanzanians, Kairuki stressed. CUFs Asaa Hamad said it was a shame for Tanzanians to be disregarded in their own country. We are not against foreigners being employed if they follow the required procedures, but it is an embarrassment for local people to be disregarded in their own country, Hamad said. He called on the government to ensure Tanzanians were given priority in employment, before foreigners. He explained that youth unemployment was a critical problem in the country and advised the government to invest more in agriculture which was a practical solution to the problem. Special Seats MP Zainabu Kawawa asked the government to empower the Occupational Safety and Health Authority so that it could inspect companies which did not abide by the laws. Kawawa cited Tanalec Company in Arusha saying it had Kenyan employees only. These companies frustrate Tanzanians and they have even banned them from joining trade unions, Kawawa said. Kawawa further explained that employment was the only solution to alleviate poverty across the world. She said the Ministry of Labour and Employment could reduce poverty if it worked efficiently and created employment for its people. She said the country had laws governing employment but complaints were many. Lets use these laws to address the complaints, Kawawa said. According to her, unemployment was more critical, when compared to the problems facing employees. She blamed the ministry for failing to have statistics on the labour force and other important indicators of employment. Chadema MP Esther Matiko said it was embarrassing to the country which educated its youths so that they could get employment, only to see them being disregarded by foreigners, saying some were working more than foreigners but were paid less. Bukoba Rural MP Jasson Rweikiza asked the government to take action against foreigners employed illegally so that the posts could be given to locals. Shadow Minister for Labour and Employment Regia Mtema (Chadema) said there had been an increase in the number of foreign workers entering the country under the cover of investors. This is illegal because they do the jobs which could be done by local people, she said. She said the opposition camp had discovered that most mining and other companies in the country employed more foreigners than local people. The opposition camp wants the government through this ministry to conduct a special inspection in mines, industries and other companies whose employees are complaining to ensure that the laws are adhered to, Mtema said. Tabling his budget estimates, Minister for Labour and Employment Gaudensia Kabaka said in this financial year her ministry would lobby for the establishment of an employment growth committee in eight regions - Dar es Salaam, Coast Region, Morogoro, Tanga, Arusha, Manyara, Kilimanjaro and Mwanza. Kabaka also said the ministry would work on employment permits for foreigners and inspect all companies which had employed foreigners in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Tanzania Investment Centre. She also said her ministry would continue making amendments to the policy and Social Security Acts and conduct research to involve as many Tanzanians as possible who were not in the formal sector including elders to be recognised under the system. SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Thread starter BabuK
Start date Aug 6, 2011

BabuK

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Act on illegal foreign workers, MPs tell govt

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