Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1997, published 86th ILC session (1998)

Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970 (No. 131) - United Republic of Tanzania (Ratification: 1983)

The Committee notes that the Government's report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the following matters raised in its previous direct request:

1. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in reply to the previous direct request, including copies of staff circulars No. 3 of 1987 and No. 8 of 1990. It also notes the Regulation of Wages and Terms of Employment Order, 1990 (Government Notice No. 336 published on 24.8.90) which sets the new basic minimum wage rates applicable also to the public sector and to the plantation industry. The Committee would be grateful to the Government for continuing to supply information in its future reports on further development of the minimum wage fixing.

2. The Committee notes with interest the information on the application of the Convention in Zanzibar, including copies of Labour Decree, Chapter 61, Employment (Private Enterprises) Regulation, 1990 (Legal Notice No. 1 of 1991), the Minimum Wages Decree (No. 1 of 1935) and the Minimum Wages Order (No. 74 of 1949). It notes from the Government's report that there is no law or regulation enacted so far setting salaries for public enterprises. As regards the private sector, the Government indicates that, since no employers' association has so far been formed, tripartite consultations are problematic.

The Committee notes that section 9 of the above-mentioned regulation (Legal Notice No. 1 of 1991) provides for the declaration of minimum wage by the Department of Labour from time to time as it may deem necessary, and that section 10 stipulates that the Director shall issue and approve scales of wages after tripartite consultation. The Committee requests the Government to clarify whether the requirement of tripartite consultation under section 10 also covers the declaration of minimum wage under section 9. It would be grateful to the Government for indicating whether the above-mentioned Minimum Wages Decree and Minimum Wages Order are still in force under the new regulation (Legal Notice No. 1 of 1991). The Committee also asks the Government to continue supplying information on any development in the formation of an employers' association and on the progress made in the participation of employers' and workers' representatives in the operation of the minimum wage fixing machinery (Article 4, paragraph 3, of the Convention).