Sunday, July 31, 2022

Pay rise was meant to improve low income earners' welfare, says Premier

Majaliwa pic

By Jacob Mosenda

Dar es Salaam. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa yesterday clarified that the 23.3 percent salary increment by the government intended to improve the welfare of the majority of low income public servants.

Recently, President Samia Suluhu Hassan approved 23.3 percent pay rise following the promise she made during this year’s International Labour Day. However, the July, 2022 salaries prompted uproar among public servants, saying they did not understand what actually had been done during the process because while some received up to Sh140,000 pay rise others got as low as Sh20,000.

The new development forced both Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (Tucta) and affiliated members to engage the government in the capital of Dodoma to seek clarifications.

On Tuesday, Tucta leaders told journalists after meeting senior government officials in Dodoma that they had submitted their concerns, but they required more deliberation time. However, yesterday, Mr Majaliwa told trade union leaders in Dodoma that the salary increment was the starting point for President Hassan’s administration.

“The move aims to provide us experience of increasing salaries targeting low-income workers. This will help the private sector to align with the public sector over the minimum wage,” he said.

He said the percentage aimed at benefiting the lowest earners to enable them to pocket the amount that would reduce life hardship due to the present economic environment.

Mr Majaliwa, who doubles as Ruangwa Constituency legislator, said high incomes public servants have received as low salary increment as 0.2 percent to 0.7 percent.

“This is because there is a formula which is used in the calculations and wages stabilisation.

This is purposely done to reduce existing gap between high and low income earners,” he said.

Mr Majaliwa assured public servants in the country that the government will continue improving their welfare, asking them to trust trade union leaders whose efforts have made several issues successful within a short period

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