TPAWU is a member of the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) at the National and international level and is a member of the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers Associations (IUF).

TPAWU protect and defends the interests of members and workers in the agricultural sector and agricultural activities. At present, the Union has more than 49,000 members, of which about 35% are women.

Membership of TPAWU includes:-

1. Workers in sugarcane plantation, sugar companies, factories and all employers’ activities of leasing services in the area.
2. Workers in sisal plantations and industries that manufacture sisal products.
3. Workers in the tea plantations, its factories and all activities carried out by employers of rental services in the area.
4. Workers employed in cashewnuts farms, forestry, grain, livestock, tobacco, pyrethrum, cotton, coffee, mixed crop fields and its industries.
5. Workers in cooperatives, crop boards, procurement companies and its industries and employees in TPAWU.
6. Workers in the Flower farms, vegetables, fruits, bananas, vanilla and its industries.
7. Workers in the informal sector.

MAIN OBJECTIVES OF TPAWU

According to Article 2.1 of the TPAWU Constitution , this Union is for the workers and exists for the purpose of services to members and not for profit/ gain. Article 2.2 of the Constitution specifies the specific objectives of this Party to be:-

1. Workers, protect, defend and promote their rights and interests at work and retirement.
2. Collaborate and negotiate with employers in maintaining a peaceful workplace.
3. Negotiate and eliminate any harassment and discrimination between employer and employee.
4. Advocate for and ensure in the implementation of the Collective Bargaining and Rewards Agreements; disciplinary rules and any regulations that apply in the country.
5. Collaborate and exchange knowledge with other trade unions in the country as well as international unions for the purpose of:-

• Find, maintain and provide information or education on important issues relating to trade unions.
• Sharing experiences, knowledge or information on various issues and workers issues and international procedures related workers.

6. Communicating with the government about the need to enact/amend appropriate labor laws and develop good policies for economic development and the livelihood of workers.

7. Protecting the interests of members by working together with the government to avoid the formulation of policies and laws that are harmful to workers.

TPAWU Department

TPAWU is composed of three (3) main departments namely:-

1. Finance and Administration department
2. Women, Youth and Education department
3. Economics, Research and Loan

Finance and Administration departments

Finance and Administration Department deals with Finance, Human resource and administration affairs of the Union staff.

The Department of Finance and Administration deals with the following Functions:-

1. To ensure Union income is timely collected and properly recorded in the books of accounts.
2. To manage funds and donations from other sources and ensure it is properly recorded.
3. To facilitate control of union expenditure.
4. To procure, manage and maintain all properties of the Union such as cars, buildings, and Office machines.
5. Designing and planning human resources needs and use of personnel.
6. Management of all staff discipline.
7. Evaluation of staff performance.
8. Addressing staffs issues such as employment, staff promotion, staff training and loans.
9. To oversee the law, rules and regulations and work guidelines in accordance with the time.
10. Prepare and adjust schemes of service for the union, address issue of motivation for workers.
11. Other administrative issues that arise at work.

Women, Youth and Education department

The Department of Women, youth and education was started with the aim of improving and retaining the skills, knowledge, tools, equipment and other resources needed to conduct the union’s activities. This Department coordinates all women, youth and education activities in the Union. It motivate leadership development among young and women workers and empowering youth and women to conduct organizing /awareness campaigns in their workplaces.

Activities conducted by the department:-

1. Preparing training tools such as manuals, leaflets, brochures and the like.
2. Coordinating union’s women, youth and education projects.
3. Coordinating all women, youth and education activities in the union.
4. Running seminars and workshops for various target groups.
5. Coordinating Women, Youth and Education exchange programs with Global Unions.
6. Providing trade union training on Women, youth and education to different target groups.

Through this department, the union has managed to form 222 Women Committees and 214 Youth committee.

Department of Economics, Research and Loan

This department deals with all Economics, Research and Loan activities within the Union which are:-

1. Negotiate and conclude Collective Bargaining Agreements.
2. Collection, compilation, organization, analyzing and interpretation of different statistical data that relating to Union`s activities.
3. Searching of economic information from different sources including digital and consult office of the General Secretary on the economic issues depending on economic indicators such as inflation, exchange rates.
4. Identification of new workplaces to persuade employees to join TPAWU.
5. Conducting various surveys of the Union on issues of Occupational Health and Safety, Wage rates vs economic conditions.
6. Enabling Workers have SACCOS at their Workplace.