Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze
The leaders of the Public Service Unions (PSUs) met with the Prime
Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini at the cabinet offices on Wednesday 29th May 2024 and the outcomes of the
meeting are not anything to write home about according to the PSUs.
It is worth noting that the meeting with the Prime Minister is possibly as a result of the PSUs address during Workers Day at the Prince of Wales stadium in Mbabane on 1st May 2024. During their address to workers on Workers Day the PSUs heavily criticised the Prime Minister (who was present on the day) for being indifferent to their requests for the intervention of his office on matters where the PSUs and the government negotiations teams were unable continue to work.
Speaking on Wednesday 29th May 2024 in a media conference flighted on the Facebook Page ,The SNAT Platform , PSU leaders expressed their disappointment that the meeting could provide a breakthrough on the key issues as they had expected. The media briefing featured NAPSAWU President Bawinile Ndlovu,SWADNU President Nokuthula Dlamini ,SNAGAP Secretary General Phumzile Masilela and SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini.
Reporting about the outcomes of the meeting with the Prime Minister SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini indicated that the Prime Minister started his intervention in the meeting by reassuring the PSUs that government is not an enemy to workers. However in response to the assurance by the Prime Minister President Mbongwa indicated that the PSUs doubted the statement was genuine without corresponding action from the government demonstrating the cordiality of relations.
President Mbongwa further reported that the PSUs also presented their concern regarding the Performance Management System (PMS) that the government seeks to implement but which the PSUs are pushing back on because they regarded it as something that ought to be subject to negotiations. The government on the other hand had insisted that introducing the PMS was its prerogative as the employer. To the disappointment of the PSUs the Prime Minister is reported to have sided with the government JNT by stating that as far as he was concerned the PMS is the prerogative of the employer.
Another issue that the PSUs were reported to have presented to the Prime Minister was their concern regarding statements attributed to him to the effect that workers who couldn't find employment opportunities in the country should go to other countries to seek employment opportunities and that some could establish private school and clinics in the country. According to President Mbongwa the PSUs presented to the Prime Minister that the government was entrusted with the responsibility to provide social services in education and health and therefore needed not to outsource the responsibility to hire the correct numbers in order to achieve quality public services to the public.
Another issue discussed was the issue of the increased hiring or engagement of public service employees on fixed term contracts instead of permanent and pensionable contracts. On this matter President Mbogwa reported that the Prime Minister Russell had insisted that there is nothing wrong with the government giving public service workers fixed term contracts however the Prime Minister had insisted that they needed to have proper benefits such as full gratuity at the end of their contracted period. The Prime Minister also added that it is possible that more and more public service workers will be put on fixed term contract going forward.
The next issue discussed was the issue related to the Joint Negotiations Forum (JNF) and the behaviour of the government team in the JNF particularly the behaviour of the leader of the government team Mr Sipho Tsabedze who also happens to be the substantive Principal Secretary to the Ministry of Public Service. President Mbongwa reported that the Prime Minister was not clear as to what needed to happen only to insist that it was important for civil servants to be apolitical. President Mbongwa in response indicated that the PSUs didn't understand what is meant by the word apolitical because they , for instance, regarded the making of national legislation ,which they contribute to as PSUs as politics. PSUs also noted that the new Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and Civil Service Commission (CSC) instead of carrying out their duties have both only issued threats towards public service unions and politics.
In ending their press conference the PSUs defiantly vowed to continue to pursue better conditions at the workplace and in society for workers, "We are going to fight for what is right" President Mbongwa added.
The PSU's lastly reported that they have agreed with the Prime Minister that there would be bilateral meetings between them about twice each year.
The governments response through spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo to the statements by the PSU's carried out by the Times of Eswatini on Thursday 30th May 2024 was to the effect that the PSUs were not happy with the outcome of the meeting with the Prime Minister because they had sought to have the JNF lead negotiator Mr Tsabedze removed and failed.
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