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UNESWA STRIKE MIGHT END TODAY

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 dating back two years, while the UNESWA Management  had pushed back citing financial resources shortages to pay for the increases ,particularly because the increases required back dating.

Sources with intimate knowledge of the latest negotiations have revealed to the ELI that there were high level deliberations that have been taking place between the management at UNESWA  and the two unions ALAAP and NAWUSHI since Friday the 28th. Deliberations are reported to have continued in the afternoon of Tuesday 2May 2023. However there are still outstanding issues that the parties still need to complete including terms of the possible back pay. 

Speaking to the ELI the Secretary General of NAWUSHI Stanley Simelane expressed optimism that the parties will settle the dispute and sign an agreement soon. On the other hand the Registrar of UNESWA Dr S.S. Simelane expressed that as the institution they cannot offer any comment on the issue until agreements have officially been signed by the parties concerned. 

The ELI spoke to several UNESWA workers during workers day rally at Mayaluka, Bigbend (on 1st May 2023) and a majority of them expressed positive belief that the dispute would come to an end. 

More reports will be filed as the story develops. 

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