[Documents menu] Documents menu


Trade Unions Re-registration Starts

TOMRIC Agency, 13 September 2000

Dar Es Salaam - Three, out of over 10 Trade unions which were declared defunct in July this year, have been presented with new registration certificates after meeting most necessary requirements. On July 1, this year the government declared all trade unions defunct with effective to such date and directed them to re-register afresh.

The Minister for labor and Youth Development, Paul Kimiti issued the order. Trade unions provided with their registration certificates on Tuesday this week include the Tanzania Union of Industrial and Commercial Workers (TUICO), Tanzania Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (TPAWU) and Transport Workers Trade Union (COTWU). The Workers Unions Registrar, Ludger Mlelwa said when handing over the certificates that by the end of this week six more trade unions would receive their registration certificates. He said the remaining trade unions would be registered by September 25, this year. About eleven unions had already applied for registration and according to the registrar

Announcing the de-registration of all of the trade unions in July, Kimiti said the decision followed an appointment of the registrar of trade unions, formulation of rules and regulations of trade unions and establishment of an independent office of the registrar and his deputy.

Kimiti said that an agreement had been reached with former trade unions on how to manage their property before new bodies were registered as well as obtaining a High Court order to entrust the property of trade unions to the public trustee. He said agreement had been also reached on how to handle workers of the Tanzania Federation of Trade Unions (TFTU) that became defunct with the coming into force of the Act No. 10 of 1998. The agreement means workers were free to establish trade unions. Since 1998 the TFTU has over 10 affiliated trade unions that brought together workers of various sectors like education, health, industrial and commercial, agricultural, hotel and railways workers. Trade unions to be formed should abide by principles [...] fices for registration.