Sumbawanga — THE Jianxi Geo-Engineering (Group) Corporation (JGC) management has met with stakeholders with a view to finding a lasting solution to a stand-off between it and the workers.

JGC's Project Manager, Li Jian Ru, told the 'Daily News' that the company management met with the distressed workers and promised them that their working conditions would be improved. Workers in all the sections had laid down tools complaining of mistreatment and abuse by the management, besides being paid low salaries.

According to the manager, starting from next month workers' salaries and wages would be increased in conformity with the recent labour wage order for 2013. Jiangxi Geo-Engineering (Group) Corporation Ltd from China is currently upgrading a section of the 75-kilometre- long Sumbawanga-Kanazi road to tarmac level in Rukwa Region at a cost of over 78.8bn/-.

The section is part of the 152-kilometre-long Sumbawanga-Namanyere-Kizi/Kibaoni road which is being upgraded to tarmac level at a cost of over 161.6bn/-. The project, whose contract was signed on June 15, 2009, is being financed wholly by the government.

However, Jian Ru went to great lengths to list myriad challenges it's facing, including failure by the government to pay them on time, thus causing delays in the project's execution. "This project is being wholly financed by the government and we signed the contract five years ago," he said.

He expounded that the workers were being paid a monthly wage of 150,000/- according to the signed contract and that, since funds had already been budgeted, it was hard for the company to effect the workers' demands unless it got extra funds with which to pay the new monthly wage of 325,000/-.

"I will liaise with the JGC management about the matter," he added. However, management's resolve to increase the monthly wages of their workers starting from next month and improve their working conditions comes in the backdrop of last Monday's incident in which the workers downed tools for an indefinite period.

The distraught workers, including labourers, office clerks and drivers, accused their employer, Jianxi Geo-Engineering (Group) Corporation, of mistreating them and abusive language and hence vowed to fight for what they described as their rights to the bitter end.

They alleged to have been underpaid and compelled to sign wage documents written in Chinese and English languages, both of which they don't understand.

A cross-section of the distressed workers, who gathered in front of the main gate to the office of Nicholas O'Dwyer and Company Ltd, told the this paper on Monday that casual labourers were subjected to humiliation by being caned, kicked and punched by their employers when they lodged demands about their rights.

They told the 'Daily News' that the aim of the strike was to force their employer to meet their authentic demands, including being paid a minimum wage of 325,000/- per month instead of the present 150,000/- they were now being paid. Also they faulted their employer for being reluctant to pay them overtime allowance despite working for more than 14 hours daily.

"We are very underpaid as we receive only 150,000/- monthly instead of the recent wage stipulated by the government, which is 325,000- per month. Unfortunately, we are not issued with detailed pay slips," lamented Mr George Marco, a driver.

When contacted for comment, the workers said they had indeed met with the company's management and agreed on several issues, including an increase of their monthly wage. "It is true that we met with the management yesterday (Monday), late in the afternoon and some of the sticking issues, including the disputed monthly wage, were resolved," added George.