By
ADAM IHUCHA -- Porters and tour operators in Tanzania are in a brink of stipend
war that could catch multi-million-dollars tourism industry in the crossfire.
Thousands of porters operating in Mount Kilimanjaro and Meru, are up in arms against the tour operators over low pay, contrary to the country’s regulations.
Thousands of porters operating in Mount Kilimanjaro and Meru, are up in arms against the tour operators over low pay, contrary to the country’s regulations.
As
a result, Tanzania Porters Organization (TPO) plans a major industrial action
in order to make a case for a 68.75 per cent salary increment for its members.
Analysts say the imminent strike would
badly hit the tourism industry as thousands of tourists will find it difficult
to climb the summit of Africa’s highest
mountains of Kilimanjaro and Meru, without porter’s support.
TPO,
an apex body for nearly 60,000 porters, demands tour operators to raise a daily
wage from Tsh 5, 000 ($3.125) up to Tsh 16,000 ($10) as per laid down rules.
According
to Tanzania’s government notice No. 228 of 29th June 2009, porters are
ought to pocket $10 per day, but majority of tour operators pay as low as $3.125.
The
TPO secretary general Mr Mgabo Magoto says that only 18 out of over 200 tour
companies in Tanzania pay their porters well beyond $10 a day.
“Initial
plans was to strike early this month, but the state chipped in and requested us
to give it until the end of March to find a solution” Magoto noted, adding: “If
solution delays, we will strike anytime this month April”.
Tanzania
Associations of Tour Operators (TATO) chairman, Mr Willy Chambulo maintains
that majority of his members pay the porters beyond the state’s laid offer.
“We
have asked porters to name tour operators who underpay them in order for us to
deal with them, because they violate the law, but invain” Mr Chambulo said.
TATO
chief agree that should the porters boycott, the tourism industry will
paralyze, welcoming the government intervention.
Indeed,
it has reliably learnt that the state is struggling to avert a
looming nationwide porter’s strike in a bid to save the multi-billion-dollars
tourism industry.
A
document indicates that the State has formed a
commission of inquiry to investigate the porter’s welfare and propose the way
forward.
“I
have compelled to establish the commission of inquiry to look at the porters
cry against their employers to assist us to reach amicable solution in a bid to
save tourism industry” said the Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner, Mr Leonidas Gama in a document.
Mr
Isaria Masam from the Kilimanjaro RC’s office leads the team of 20 delegates, as
a chairperson and Sirili Akko, acting executive secretary for TATO as the
commission’s secretary.
According
to terms of reference, the commission, which started its work early march, has
until 30th of March 2014 to submit its report.
The
commission would look on the source of the crisis, the wage for porters as per
rules, the current actual salary and contracts between porters and tour
operators if any.
Porter’s
provisions while on Mountains like food, accommodations and mountain gears such
as protective clothes as well as their safety, are among the issues to be
established.
Risks
Although Mount Kilimanjaro has been
taken for granted as ‘easy’ peak to climb, an unofficial estimate shows nearly
ten people die on the mountain every year.
TPO secretary general Mr Magoto
confirmed that this year alone, they have lost four members, one died on
mountain whereas three passed away at home, but in relation to mountain
climbing effect.
Mr Magoto says that porters are often
at greater risk than tourists because they normally carry as heavy as 27 to 30 kg
of luggage and yet they lack proper equipment and clothing.
Although many tour companies have
policies requiring that the porters they hire be outfitted with adequate
clothing and sleeping gear, but porters are frequently seen wearing only
trousers, sneakers, t-shirts, and a light sweater or jacket.
Described as ‘world’s highest free-standing mountain,’
Mt Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones – Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira – is a
dormant volcano 5,895 metres high.
The mountain tops the bill in generating income among
the country’s numerous tourist attractions.
The so-called Roof of Africa yields over Tsh 80billion
($50 million) annually, ahead of Ngorongoro Crater which generates Tsh 53
billion ($33.13 million) and Serengeti National Park which garners Tsh 45
billion ($28.13 million).
All these
tourism features are located in the Northern Circuit, which generates a large
chunk of the $1.88 billion generated from tourism industry per annum.
Bank of Tanzania (BoT) says that tourism remains the
number one foreign exchange earner after overtaking gold exports last year.
Tourism earnings hit $1.88 billion for 2013, up from $1.7
billion in 2012 and $1.35 billion in 2011.
Analysts say this makes tourism as a Tanzania’s
leading economic sector, though gas exports, when the newly discovered gas
fields in the South of Tanzania have been fully developed and tapped for
production, are likely to perform even better in the future in monetary terms.
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