industry are quoted as saying that with the establishment of
NUTA industrial relations have become so good ‘that the com-
pany does not need an industrial relations officer’ any more.
NUTA has assumed that role.

() WORKERS' COUNCILS

The formation of workers’ councils was first announced in The
Nationalist of October 9th, 1969. At the time the report stated that
the purpose of the councils would be ‘to bring the workers close to
the management of industries and to promote better industrial
relations while giving the workers more say in formulating
policies’. It was not until January 1970, however, that some con-
crete measures were taken — these being in the form of the
Presidential Circular.

I have already noted the significance of the manner in which
the idea was promulgated. The fact that this was done through a
Presidential Circular precluded any discussion by the public on the
idea. Discussion could have centred only on its implementation.
Even this never took place, however, apart from two to three let-
ters in the press after the first council was formed.

The Presidential Circular gives basically three underlying prin-
ciples of workers’ participation in the management of enterprises
in this country. First, the circular argues that given a proper work
environment, the majority of workers can become more creative
and produce more. Second, workers’ are not just a ‘factor of
production’: they ought to be treated as the very purpose of
‘production. Finally industrial discipline can be meaningful only
when all involved know fully what, why and how production is
carried out.

I need point out only the fact that these obviously are not those
advanced by socialist theory generally. Marxist theory, itself being
a ‘grand’ theory of society and history, sees workers’ management
within the context of the total organisation of society and it is
therefore inextricably connected with the overall problems and
goals of liberating man. Tanzania's socialism is of course not
based on a ‘grand’ theory of a world outlook like Marxism, it is
more a set of pragmatic propositions for solving a limited number
of contemporary issues. Hence also the pragmatic nature of the
notion of workers' participation.

However, it is significant to note that not so much emphasis is

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