Eswatini Labour Insight

Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze (Publishing Editor) Standard Bank Eswatini workers ,who are members of the  Swaziland Union of Financial and Allied Workers (SUFIAW), are set to embark on a legal strike action commencing on Monday 22 May 2023 countrywide. The strike comes after the failure by Standard Bank Eswatini (the bank) and SUFIAW (the union) to reach an agreement on pay increases at the bank.  The Times of Eswatini Sunday (21-05-2023) reported that at the negotiations table Standard Bank Eswatini is currently offering SUFIAW members a wage increment of 5.2% while SUFIAW is demanding 8.5% increment. So far none amongst the two parties has shown inclination meet the other halfway. In the same report the bank has expressed that they hope the grievance can be resolved before Monday ,the commencement date of the strike action.   The same newspaper report indicated that a process of balloting for the strike action had been done in compliance with the labour laws of the country and worker

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Picture: TUCOSWA Secretary General Mduduzi Gina (holding microphone) addressing the  workers day rally at Mayaluka in the east of Eswatini. Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze Making his address to the 30 000 plus workers gathered at the Workers Day 2023 rally at Mayaluka Stadium in Bigbend the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) Secretary General Mduduzi Gina declared that even though workers are fully involved in the struggle for attainment of a fully democratic Eswatini (together with the rest of the MDM) they will however not grant political parties a blank cheque to govern to the disadvantage of workers but workers support the struggle for democracy on the understanding that they will get better conditions of work in the democratic dispensation. The Secretary General also emphasised to workers not to outsource the struggle for the attainment of democracy as it needed them to be fully involved. He added that the struggle for democracy is a legitimate struggle for workers. He said

Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze News coming in reveals that there is a strong likelihood that the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) pay dispute may come to an end today 03 May 2023. The dispute had led to a strike action ,that has been ongoing going on for two months (from 8th March 2023) leading to the closure of UNESWA (all academic activities) throughout the period of the strike action. Sources with intimate knowledge of the deliberations have confirmed to the Eswatini Labour Insight (ELI) that from Friday 28th April 2023 there has been steady progress in the negotiations aimed at ending the strike action at UNESWA. The current strike action came about when unions and UNESWA management deadlocked in negotiations about increments in notches (levels) within the pay grades. Workers organisations ,the Association of Lecturers ,Academic and Administrative Personnel (ALAAP) as well as the National Workers Union in Swaziland Higher Institutions (NAWUSHI) had been called for notch increases dat

Pictured above: TUCOSWA President Bheki Mamba addressing TUCOSWA members during the annual  TUCOSWA Workers Day rally in Bigbend in Eastern Eswatini. The President of the  Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) Bheki Mamba called for workers to free Eswatini from the negligence they are facing under the current regime. "We must free this country and we have got a duty, all of us, to liberate this country" declared President Mamba. The president further attended to a cynical question being frequently posed upon the Mass Democratic Movement (MDM) whether those seeking democracy can manage the country properly if the opportunity to govern could be availed to them ?  The President responded to the question by pointing  out that he doesn't believe that the current regime can be proud to be governing Eswatini because they have neglected to provide key services to citizens particularly in education and health. "As workers we believe that there is no one who can be prou