Human Rights and Business Report 2023/24 highlights persistent challenges in labor rights, environmental responsibility, and other challenges in Tanzania

The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) launched the Human Rights and Business Report 2023/24 on August 27, 2024, marking LHRC’s 10th report on business and human rights in Mainland Tanzania.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of key areas, including labor rights, land rights, tax responsibility, corporate social responsibility, local content requirements, corporate environmental responsibility, corporate respect for human rights, the business environment, and the performance of regulatory authorities.

Employment Contracts: 69.4% of workers reported having employment contracts, showing a slight improvement from 64.6% in 2022. However, complaints about contract breaches and the non-provision of copies remain widespread.

Trade Union Membership: Only 37% of workers reported the existence of trade unions at their workplaces, a slight increase from 34% in 2022. However, only 39% of employers acknowledged the presence of trade unions, a decrease from 60% in 2022.

Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination: While discrimination and dismissal of female workers due to pregnancy are prohibited, the survey found that such incidents continue to occur in some workplaces, particularly in SMEs.

Top Labor Complaints: Over 50% of the complaints documented by LHRC involved unfair termination. Other common issues included long working hours, social security contributions, non-payment of benefits, and wage payment delays.

Labor Rights Awareness: 56% of workers claimed to be well-informed or at least informed about their rights at work, down from 71% in 2022.

Land Acquisition: In the land acquisition process, community members identified delays in compensation payments (29%) as the biggest challenge. Other concerns included unfair valuation and lack of meaningful participation.

Corporate Social Responsibility: 5 out of 10 community members felt that their community benefits from CSR activities, down from 6 out of 10 in 2022.

Environmental Responsibility: 6 out of 10 business enterprises do not have a clear policy on environmental management and protection, with most enterprises being implicated in air and land pollution.

Corporate Respect for Human Rights: Labor rights violations were identified as the biggest concern (46%). The right to work was perceived as the most violated (51%), followed by the right to a clean environment (36%) and the right to health (20%).

Gender and Disability Discrimination: Gender and disability discrimination remain significant challenges in the business sector, with women and persons with disabilities (PWDs) being the primary victims. Poor enforcement of laws and societal acceptance of discrimination are among the contributing factors.



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