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...

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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 ...

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...

  A TUCOSWA banner for workers day 2023 commemoration The Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) ,the federation of workers in Eswatini/Swaziland is heading for the sugarbelt to commemorate its 2023 workers day. Specifically the eastern agricultural town of BigBend ,which hosts the iconic Mayaluka Sports Ground or Stadium ,will host the main rally for workers day.  The theme of the 2023 TUCOSWA Workers Day is, "WORKERS IN PURSUIT OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS,FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY"  In keeping with norms of previous workers day rallies, the 2023 rally will be preceded by a march around the Big Bend Illovo Estate and will be led by TUCOSWA leaders and its aim is to sensitise the community about selected issues affecting workers. The march will reportedly kick-off at 0830 and it will end in the Mayaluka stadium where the main event will be taking place. The main event is likely to feature a keynote address by the President of TUCOSWA Bheki Mamba, an address from the TUCOSWA Se...

                                                           Saturday the 8th of April 2023 marked a full month since the Association of Lecturers Academic and Administrative Personnel (ALAAP) engaged in a protected strike action at the University of Swaziland (UNESWA). Twelve days later and on the 20th March 2023 that workers organised by the National Workers Union of Swaziland Higher Institutions (NAWUSHI) joined their ALAAP counterparts in the strike action. UNESWA operations have been grounded since then. As their name suggests the ALAAP represents lecturers, academic and senior administrative workers at UNESWA while NAWUSHI represents all non academic workers in all sections of the university. The common grievance of ALAAP and NAWUSHI is the fact that UNESWA has not been effecting notch increases to the salaries of workers for more than...