Aviation Security Officers lose salary adjustment case against ESWACA at the Industrial Court of Eswatini

NAPSAWU and ESWACA emblems (sourced from the respective websites)

Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze (Publisher)

The Times of Eswatini (TOE) on 15th December 2023 reported that the Industrial Court of Eswatini has dismissed an application by the Eswatini Civil Aviation Authority (ESWACA) aviation security officers (workers) to have their salaries adjusted beyond class 2 salary range.

Through their trade union the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) the workers had approached the industrial court in a bid to force the ESWACA to increase their salaries from class 2 to class 1. To argue their case the workers cited the ESWACA's Advancement and Promotions Procedure as well as the National Civil Aviation Security Training Programme (NCASTP). In accordance with these policies ESWACA security officers had to undergo aviation screener licence* renewal every 24 months. In order to renew the screener licences every two years they had to undergo training and examination. Upon completion of these programmes and upon attaining the successful renewal of the screener licence they were moved to a new class of salaries.

Workers further informed the court that from 2013 they had successfully increased their salaries from class 4 to class 2 but in 2019 after completing another process of training, certification and renewal of the screener licence the ESWACA refused to increase their pay level class 1. According to the TOE report had the application been successful each worker would have had to be paid E223 122.88 as backpay to September 2019 by ESWACA.

ESWACA on the other hand argued back that the policy, the appointment ,advancement promotions procedure, as cited by the workers, was no longer effective as they while exercising their prerogative as the employer amended the policy in 2019 and in the process made the pay level Class 1 to be a supervisory pay grade.

The TOE further reported that the industrial court through Judge Lungile Msimango dismissed the application by workers on the grounds that the employer had amended the policy cited and had informed the workers of same and so there were no assurance for workers to be advanced to Class 1 pay level, amongst other reasons.

*The aviator screening training, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website, prepares trainees to work in access control, x-ray screening and checkpoint supervisory roles.

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