Ridhiwani Kikwete Criticizes Public Job Termination Announcements in Newspapers

Dodoma. Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ridhiwani Kikwete, has expressed strong disapproval of the practice of publishing job termination announcements in newspapers, calling the act humiliating and unethical.

Speaking at the 30th General Council Meeting of the Tanzania Local Government Workers Union (TALGWU) held on January 15, 2025, in Dodoma, Kikwete highlighted the negative impact such announcements have on employees’ dignity and the importance of adhering to fair processes.

A humiliating practice

“There are people who don’t stop at just dismissing an employee; they go further and publish it in newspapers,” Kikwete said. “When they publish in newspapers, they even disclose the reasons for the termination, which is both humiliating and disrespectful. I am not defending those who make mistakes, but such actions tarnish their dignity.”

Kikwete emphasized that termination notices in newspapers should not be the final word in resolving employment disputes.

“An employee has the right to seek justice elsewhere, including in courts of law,” he added. “Publishing such notices before the matter is fully resolved denies the employee the opportunity to defend their rights and damages their reputation.”

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The TALGWU meeting aimed to review the union’s 2024 budget and deliberate on the 2025 budget. The union advocates for the rights of all employees under local government authorities by ensuring their employment and wages are protected in accordance with laws, regulations, and guidelines.

Kikwete urged employers to exercise caution when handling dismissals, emphasizing that every employee has the right to appeal or seek legal redress.

A call for decency

“It is our duty to ensure that when someone applies for a job, they provide information about their past employment. This is a standard procedure. However, employers should inquire discreetly about the circumstances of an applicant’s departure from their previous workplace, rather than publicly shaming them,” Kikwete said.

The Minister called on all employers engaging in public termination announcements to stop immediately.

“Acts of publicly declaring that someone was dismissed for specific reasons are not ethical,” he stated. “As a minister overseeing labor issues, I want all employers practicing this to cease immediately.”