The theme for this year`s May Day has been changed following government instructions to the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania, according to a top-ranking trade unionist.
The discarded theme was: ``Quality life for every Tanzanian can be attained if we eliminate grand corruption.``
The motto has been replaced as follows: ``Economic growth should be manifested by equitable distribution of the national cake.``
Speaking to The Guardian in Dar es Salaam, Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) Secretary General Nestory Ngulla said the unions` umbrella body had been instructed to change the slogan.
He said it had been construed that the theme was directly attacking people who were implicated in various grand corruption scandals and could therefore build a negative attitude of workers to those implicated.
Ngulla said after considering the fact that the media was attacking those allegedly caught up in the scams ``we agreed to change the theme because we don`t want to be involved in shaping the people`s negative attitude towards those who had been implicated.``
He said that the Minister of Labour and Youth Development had issued the instructions to the Trade Union Congress and after deliberations, the congress agreed to change the theme.
He, however, said that the message of the new rallying cry did not differ from the previous one but rather carried similar content.
``The original slogan was directly advocating the equitable sharing of the national cake, so that a few people should not be the ones to benefit most. The second theme also carries the same massage even though the word �graft� is excluded,`` he said.
Ngulla said that this year`s theme had been designed in a way that allows both the workers and the government to benefit from national income.
When contacted, the Minister for Labour and Youth Development, Prof Juma Kapuya, said the process of selecting a rallying cry usually involved both the government and the trade unions.
``The trade union congress usually forwards four suggested themes to the government, one of which is picked up by the government. However, this time, the trade unions announced the slogans even before submitting them to the government,`` Kapuya said.
He said by doing so, TUCTA had gone against the tradition.
Asked what was wrong with the motto ``Quality life for every Tanzanian can be attained if we eliminate grand corruption,`` the minister said he could not comment on the matter because he had been away and had just returned to Dar es Salaam.
This year`s Workers Day will be cerebrated at national level in Iringa. Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda is expected to grace the occasion.
Recently, a number of senior government officials resigned after they had been implicated in major corruption scandals.
SOURCE: Guardian
The discarded theme was: ``Quality life for every Tanzanian can be attained if we eliminate grand corruption.``
The motto has been replaced as follows: ``Economic growth should be manifested by equitable distribution of the national cake.``
Speaking to The Guardian in Dar es Salaam, Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) Secretary General Nestory Ngulla said the unions` umbrella body had been instructed to change the slogan.
He said it had been construed that the theme was directly attacking people who were implicated in various grand corruption scandals and could therefore build a negative attitude of workers to those implicated.
Ngulla said after considering the fact that the media was attacking those allegedly caught up in the scams ``we agreed to change the theme because we don`t want to be involved in shaping the people`s negative attitude towards those who had been implicated.``
He said that the Minister of Labour and Youth Development had issued the instructions to the Trade Union Congress and after deliberations, the congress agreed to change the theme.
He, however, said that the message of the new rallying cry did not differ from the previous one but rather carried similar content.
``The original slogan was directly advocating the equitable sharing of the national cake, so that a few people should not be the ones to benefit most. The second theme also carries the same massage even though the word �graft� is excluded,`` he said.
Ngulla said that this year`s theme had been designed in a way that allows both the workers and the government to benefit from national income.
When contacted, the Minister for Labour and Youth Development, Prof Juma Kapuya, said the process of selecting a rallying cry usually involved both the government and the trade unions.
``The trade union congress usually forwards four suggested themes to the government, one of which is picked up by the government. However, this time, the trade unions announced the slogans even before submitting them to the government,`` Kapuya said.
He said by doing so, TUCTA had gone against the tradition.
Asked what was wrong with the motto ``Quality life for every Tanzanian can be attained if we eliminate grand corruption,`` the minister said he could not comment on the matter because he had been away and had just returned to Dar es Salaam.
This year`s Workers Day will be cerebrated at national level in Iringa. Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda is expected to grace the occasion.
Recently, a number of senior government officials resigned after they had been implicated in major corruption scandals.
SOURCE: Guardian
