Date of publication:

05/27/2025

United Republic of Tanzania (the)

Do domestic laws and policies provide the right of recourse to effective administrative or judicial remedies for forcibly displaced and stateless persons that are denied just and favorable conditions at work?

ANALYSIS

Assessment by population

Refugees
Asylum-seekers
Stateless persons
Analysis

Tanzania’s Employment and Labour Relations Act No. 6 of 2004 guarantees employees the right to fair labor practices and access to dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation, arbitration, and adjudication. These legal pathways are designed to ensure justice in the workplace and protect against unfair treatment.

However, under the Non-Citizens (Employment Regulation) Act No. 1 of 2015, refugees and stateless persons must obtain valid work permits to be legally employed. In reality, many are unable to access such permits, meaning they are often excluded from the formal labor market—and with it, the protections and remedies provided under labor law. As a result, disputes arising from informal work arrangements typically go unaddressed through official channels, leaving these individuals with limited recourse in cases of exploitation or unfair dismissal.

    LAW & POLICY

    Related provisions of domestic law or policy

    Employment and Labour Relations Act

    Legal provision

    Section 94.1 - Jurisdiction of the Labour Court

    Subject to the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, 1977, the Labour Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the application, interpretation and implementation of the provisions of this Act and to decide - (a) appeals from the decisions of the Registrar made under Part IV; (b) reviews and revisions of - (i) arbitrator's awards made under this Part; (ii) decisions of the Essential Services Committee made under Part VII; (c) reviews of decisions, codes, guidelines or regulations made by the Minister under this Act; (d) complaints, other than those that are to be decided by arbitration under the provisions of this Act; (e) any dispute reserved for decision by the Labour Court under this Act; and (f) applications including - (i) a declaratory order in respect of any provision of this Act; or (ii) an injunction.