Govt takes SFTU, SFL to Geneva conference

There were some questions about which organisation would represent the country’s workers after government deregistered TUCOSWA.

Despite its deregistration, unionists insisted that they would go to Geneva under the TUCOSWA banner while government stated that it only recognised SFTU and SFL as workers’ representatives.

That the SFL and SFTU are in Geneva was revealed by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Lutfo Dlamini, in a telephone interview from Geneva yesterday.

Dlamini said government did not sponsor anyone under the banner of TUCOSWA.

"Workers are represented by Barnes Dlamini, President of SFTU, the SFL by Vincent Ncongwane, the Secretary General, who due to ill-health, delegated Muzi Mhlanga," the minister said.

He also said Mduduzi Gina was representing the Swaziland National Provident Fund (SNPF) Board together with their new chairman Jobe Mashwama and Chief Executive Officer Prince Lonkhokhela.

The minister further said employers were represented by the Federation of Swaziland Employers and Chamber of Commerce’s Tineyi Mawocha, Zodwa Mabuza and Henry du Pont.

Government is represented by the minister who is the leader of the delegation.

Others representing government are Mduduzi Hlophe, Sabelo Matsebula, Dr Sibanda, Victor Shabangu and Dr Tsembayena Dlamini.

The minister said there were a lot of issues that were being discussed at the ILO conference.

"The conference tou-ches on a number of cases bordering on the welfare of workers in various aspects," he said.

He said the deregistration of TUCOSWA was not the only thing that would be discussed.

Dlamini said they had not yet received a schedule of the activities that would be taking place.

Effort to get comment from the Swazi unionists who are part of the delegation proved futile as Gina and Mhlanga did not answer their mobile phones when called throughout the day yesterday.

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