Ruby miners in protest over pay

Simanjiro. At least 35 ruby miners in Kitwai Village in Simanjiro District, Manyara Region, have demonstrated to the offices of their District Commissioner, demanding for their rights including their one-year salary payments.

One of the miners, Msafiri Waziri, speaking yesterday, said they were demanding for their over one year salary payments and that their employer had been dilly-dallying them whenever they told him about the issue.

Waziri added that the government had already taken a royalty tax from the owners of the mine after producing the ruby mineral, but they had not been paid their rights.

Another miner Lembris Abraham has asked the government to make interventions, saying they have worked in the mine for a long time.

"We demand for our pay from 10 percent of the obtained mineral as we have our families to care for. How are we going to live?" queried Abraham.

The District Commissioner Zephania Chaula said after he had met the miners and the owner of the mine he gave them seven days to meet and solve their dispute.

However, the owner of the mine, Raphael Mollel, confirmed the occurrence of the dispute between himself and his mining workers.

Mollel said he had contracts with the miners, despite the fact that some did not know how to write and read.

"We are going to work on the directive given by the district commissioner that after seven days a solution be found and then go back to him for a feedback over the matter," said Mollel.