LOBAMBA — Workers unions will soon only require 20 per cent membership to be recognised by employers and further be granted collective bargaining rights.
This is one of the amendments contained in the Industrial Relations Bill of 2010.
Tabling the report in Parliament yesterday was Ntfonjeni MP Henry Dlamini who is Chairman of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Portfolio Committee who said workers unions according to the bill no longer needed to have 50 per cent eligible employees to form part of a union.
Dlamini pleaded with the MPs to adopt the report so that the law could be quickly put in place.
The amended section is Section 42 (5) which states that where in an establishment employees are represented by more than two trade unions whose respective membership does not cover at least 50 per cent of the employees eligible to join the union, the employer shall grant collective bargaining rights to the unions to negotiate on behalf of their member.
In making his submission Dlamini said it was crucial for the MPs to pass this law because these had been some of the crucial matters that had been discussed at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which saw the country being put under special paragraphs because of non- compliance with international laws.
"We hope that you will adopt this law because the longer it is delayed the country will soon be faced with sanctions," said Dlamini.
Dlamini was supported by Lobamba MP Majahodvwa Khumalo who said in the international community workers issues were very sensitive.
He said because Swaziland had not amended several sections of the Industrial Relation Act there was a great threat of sanctions.
Khumalo said they had given stakeholders such as the Federation of Swaziland Employers and Chamber of Commerce (FSE&CC) to make their submissions.
However the FSE, in a letter dated July 8, 2010 to the Portfolio Committee, it expressed concern over the effect of Section 42 (5).
FSE said it must not result in a proliferation of unions in the work place and that the interpretation of collective bargaining rights to trade unions which had less than 50 per cent members in the work place meant those unions would be granted organis-ational rights that exclude the right to strike, unless any one minority union attained majority membership.
They said however in the main the employers supported the amendments as proposed.
...unions for domestic workers, herdboys
LOBAMBA— Domestic workers including herdboys will be pleased to know that they can now form unions.
This is according to a report which was tabled by the Chairman of the Portfolio Committee for the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Henry Dlamini.
Dlamini said the amendment to the Industrial Relations Bill 2010 Section 2 now included persons working as domestic service in a household or private house.
Dlamini said as an MP he had been voted into Parliament by kitchen workers and herdboys and therefore it was crucial for Parliament to adopt the law and the report.
This therefore means that domestic works can now form a union where they could affect collective bargaining or even engage in strike action.
In a report tabled by the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) to the portfolio committee they stated that they were involved in the discussions of the said amendments at the Labour Advisory Board forum.
It stated that the amendments conform to all conventions ratified by the country and they were in good taste and could assist in brining about industrial peace and harmony in the industrial sphere.
"It is on that basis that we are unreservedly in support of the said amendments and we pray that they be debated and passed into law," read part of submission from the SFTU.
They further wished the committee the best of luck in what was termed a mammoth task of aligning the country’s industrial relations with best and acceptable labour practices.
The proposed amendments are still going to be taken to Senate.
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