ATE educates Chinese investors on labour laws

15Aug 2016
The Guardian Reporter
Business
The Guardian
ATE educates Chinese investors on labour laws

The Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE) has partnered with China and the government to educate Chinese nationals on how to legally and better do business in the country.

ATE Executive Director Dr Aggrey Mlimuka greets the Chinese Deputy Ambassador to Tanzania, Gou Haodong, at the training seminar on labour laws.

Last week, ATE in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Dar es Salaam, the Ministry of Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled held a one-day training seminar for the local Chinese business community on labour laws, work permits and related issues.

ATE Executive Director Dr Aggrey Mlimuka said the seminar conducted in collaboration with the China Enterprise Confederation (CEC) sought to improve Chinese entrepreneurs’ understanding of the legal and regulatory aspects of the local business environment.

“We have invited our counterparts from Norway, China and Kenya to share with us their experiences and best practices in order to improve trade and business relations between Tanzania and China,” Dr Mlimuka said at the weekend.

According to him, educating the Chinese on labour laws and regulations would help to create harmony at workplace and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings as well as conflicts.

He said the training will be conducted regularly and already the labour laws have been translated into Chinese to simplify their understanding.

The Chinese Deputy Ambassador to Tanzania, Gou Haodong, commending ATE for the initiative and efforts to create mutual understanding between Chinese employers and their local workers, said such endeavours were important in boosting bilateral trade and relations between Tanzania and China.

For her part, the Commissioner for Labour, Hilda Kabisa, said education on labour laws will not be confined to Chinese only, but will also involve other foreigners doing business in Tanzania.

Currently her office has 8,000 pending applications for work permits from foreigners seeking to work and invest in the country.

Formerly, known as the Federation of Tanganyika Employers (FTE), ATE was formed in 1960 by companies, industrialists and association of employers.

ATE is one of the three tripartite forums that address all industrial relations and labour related issues at sectoral and national levels in Tanzania. The other forums are the government and trade unions.

Top Stories