Arusha — Not only are workers unhappy about what they consider as low salaries, but are also irked by the rigors they have to go through to access what they earn.

The National Microfinance Bank (NMB) came under fire on May Day from employees in the formal sector in Arusha for unsatisfactory services.

The bank, leading with a vast network in the country, was requested to improve its services by opening more branches especially in towns.

They said, during the climax of May Day celebrations, that workers were "very much inconvenienced" by long queues especially when going to receive their salaries.

The call was made in a message read by the secretary of Tanzania Teachers' Union, Arusha region, Mr. Nuru Shenkalwa before the regional leaders at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium.

He said the problem was more acute during end of the month when thousands of public sector employees throng the banks to collect their salaries.

He told the regional leaders that NMB should do something to end those long queues by either opening more branches or improving services at the existing ones.

"Honorable regional commissioner we humbly request you to tell NMB management that we are tired of spending long hours at the bank," he said.

The May Day celebrations in Arusha were held at the regional level in the municipality and reached climax at the town's central stadium where the RC Isidore Shirima addressed the crowd.

The plea by the teachers' trade union boss for NMB to improve its services came as no surprise for Arusha residents and those from neighbouring districts.

The bank, which has only two branches in the municipality of over 400,000, is known for long queues of people going to draw or deposit money.

The two Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) at the branch do not cope with the big number of customers.

An official of NMB branch at the Clock Tower, who declined to be named because he is not a spokesperson, told the Arusha Times on Wednesday that efforts to improve services by adding ATMs to four were on going and would be operational in two weeks time..

The problem, he said, was not poor service only that they are overwhelmed by the huge number customers because of the government directive that public school teachers' salaries should be paid through NMB.

Many government schools also have their accounts at the bank.