Browsing by Author "Tamim, Faraj Abdallah"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    The social impact of retrenchment under the structural adjustment programme in Tanzania.
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 1996) Tamim, Faraj Abdallah
    Workers retrenchment as recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) under the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in Tanzania was implemented from 1992 and was scheduled for completion in 1995. A need to find out whether the retrenchees have been beneficiaries or victims of the retrenchment programme prompted this study which focussed on the social impact of retrenchment under the SAP. This study has been guided by the hypotheses derived from the objectives of the study. The objectives of the study were set out; 1. To investigate and understand how the retrenchment exercise under SAP has been implemented in the civil service and the parastatal organisations. 2. To find out the criteria used for retrenchment. 3. To find out the group of people which has been most affected by the programme. 4. To ascertain whether the retrenched people have been given any help to prepare them to cope with their new, unexpected life. 5. To find out the social conditions of the retrenchees and their families or dependants, (if there are any effects - positive or negative, as a result of the retrenchment programme). Thus, following the above objectives, it was hypothesised that: (1) Although it has been argued that retrenchment was meant to be beneficial, it has tended to enlarge the number of the unemployed and of those struggling in the informal sector. (2) Without prior preparation, retrenchees will fail to cope with their new unemployed situation. (3) Because those retrenched are unskilled and lowly paid, their life becomes, worse off overtime in income, health, education, nutrition and in other economic and social conditions. The literature reviewed on this subject has indicated that the IMF/WB conditionalities on SAP have both direct and indirect social impact on the general population in most of the developing countries in the world where the programme was implemented. In addition, the study discusses the research methodology adopted. Sampling methods applied, subjects included in the sample and data analysis techniques used have also been outlined. The sample of the study was drawn from retrenchees in selected urban areas of Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Arusha in Tanzania. The respondents were among those retrenched from 1992 to 1994. These were selected through purposive and random sampling techniques. The research findings have also been discussed in this study. It has been observed that none of the respondents was given any kind of retraining in new skills prior to or after retrenchment. Some of the retrenchees had not yet found alternative employment and many of them had gone into petty business activities in the informal sector. Findings have shown that the majority of the retrenchees came from lower grade category of workers. Study findings have also revealed that there was a decline in income and deterioration in the living standard of retrenchees. In the light of the findings, this study has come out with same recommendations. Among other things, the study has recommended that action has to be taken to review the retrenchment criteria, the award of retrenchment benefits and the redeployment scheme. Further studies have also been recommended on the impact of retrenchment on women and children, and the life of retrenchees who have chosen to live in the rural areas after retrenchment. Future studies are also recommended on employees retrenched after 1994.