ALAAP AND NAWUSHI IN JOINT STRIKE ACTION AT UNESWA

 

ALAAP AND NAWUSHI JOIN FORCES AT UNESWA INDUSTRIAL ACTION DEMANDING SALARY NOTCHES

 

NAWUSHI AND ALAAP MEMBERS IN ACTION AT UNESWA 

The premier university in the country ,the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) experienced a fully blown strike action on Monday 20^th March 2023 when the larger section of its workforce organised in the National Workers Union in Swaziland Higher Institutions (NAWUSHI) joined the legal strike action that was already underway courtesy of their sister union, the Association of Lecturers, Academic And Administrative Personnel (ALAAP). ALAAP had kicked off their strike action on the 8^th March 2023.

NAWUSHI was delayed in joining the action by close to two weeks because they were still dealing with the legal preparation for the action, including conducting a ballot of workers who agree to go on strike. The  ballot was eventually conducted on the 15^th March 2023 and  results were such that out of a total of  two hundred and fifty five (255) votes that were cast ,two hundred and forty one (241) were in favour of the strike and seven (7) were cast against it.

NAWUSHI subsequently served the UNESWA Management with the notice to commence with the strike action on the 16^th March 2023. The notice stated that they would commence with their the strike action, on Monday the 20^th March.

Workers grievance

The strike action is as a result of a collective bargaining deadlock between UNESWA and the two unions representing its workforce. UNESWA has chosen to employ hard austerity measures that has seen them refusing to honour notch increases on the salaries of qualifying workers.

Workers usually qualify for notch increases by being paid on a notch where there is still room for pay progress to an upper notch within a pay grade. The practice employed has been that salaries would be adjusted to an upper notch every April. April marks the beginning of the financial year. The movement from a lower to a higher notch increases the salaries roughly by between 1.5% to 3% and its omission for more than one financial year has a major impact on take home pay , particularly in these hard economic times characterised by high prices of basic goods and services in the economy.

The unions are accusing UNESWA for unilaterally ending the notching system citing the its weakened financial muscle and even when engaged in negotiations UNESWA has reportedly been intransigent according to   Secretary General of ALAAP Dr Mduduzi Shongwe (Times of Eswatini, 09March 2023). The workers have essentially been left with no other choice but to engage in a strike action.

Even after the commencement of the ALAAP strike action the UNESWA has maintained its position ,even claiming that the notching system was no longer a part of the Terms and Conditions of Service. Times of Eswatini (10th March 2023) reported and cited the UNESWA Registrar expressing the position of the University that over and above the foregoing technicalities there is no money for what the workers are asking for.

The students dynamic

The University perhaps in fear that students would join the lecturer’s strike action issued a memo on the 16^th March 2023 closing the university and ordering students to vacate the premises. In response students, through Electoral Officer Gamedze have defiantly replied that they see no need to vacate the premises since they do not have any grievance with management. Infact, students have claimed that they  always wake up and head to lectures with the hope that their lecturers will pitch up.

Negotiations/Engagements to resolve the impasse

So far there are engagements that the parties continue to engage in to try and resolve the impasse however nothing concrete has come out of the engagements so far. The situation it all to speculation that perhaps management is digging into its heels and hoping that workers will eventually lose steam and return to work.

More updates on this matter will follow.