SAPAWU AND TAMBANKULU (TABANKULU) ESTATES TEMPORARILY AVERT STRIKE ACTION ,CONTINUE WITH NEGOTIATIONS.

Tambankulu Estates Logo (sourced online)

Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze

Swaziland Agriculture, Plantations and Allied Workers Union (SAPAWU) members and workers at the Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) owned Tambankulu (Tabankulu) Estates are involved in a wage dispute with their employer the Tambankulu Estates. Negotiations between the two parties have been reported to have gone on for several months with no settlement. The borne of contention, it has been suggested by sources, is the fact that the two parties have intransigently stood firm in their positions, the union firmly demanding a 15% wage increment and the employer being unwavering in offering them 4.5% .

The matter had already been lodged at the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC) for mediation by the union. Reports suggest that mediation at CMAC hit a snag on Wednesday 20th September 2023 when it was pointed out that the union had omitted critical steps provided for in the recognition agreement with the employer. The recognition agreement as confirmed by the Chairperson of SAPAWU in Tambankulu provides that parties ought not to proceed to any outside mediation after a wage deadlock but need to wait for at least a month to try to find common ground within the company through negotiations and other forms of internal mediation further stating that "We shall ensure that when management come to work tomorrow (Thursday 21 September 2023) they will find our letter asking for continuation of negotiation on their desks, we are ready"

When interviewed by this publication Tambankulu Estate General Manager Chris Shabangu confirmed that a far as the company is concerned the dispute was withdrawn by the union at CMAC to allow for internal processes of dispute resolution to take place. He gave assurance to further negotiations by stating that, "Management and the union are still going through the negotiations process hence its as good as that there is no deadlock at this stage".

Workers (not Tambankulu workers) during a protest march (File Picture)

It is important to note that the failure of the parties to reach a wage agreement even the second time around may mean that after the elapse of the internal dispute period ,provided for by the recognition agreement, the union may still proceed to lodge their dispute at CMAC for mediation. If the two parties fail to yield to CMAC's mediation efforts to settle their wage dispute, it is expected that CMAC will issue a certificate of non resolved dispute. This certificate will enable SAPWU to file a notice of a strike action and chose a date where they will commence the strike action.

This matter will be followed closely as it unfolds.

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