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STAFF PICKET AFTER UNISWA CLOSURE

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KWALUSENI – The closure of the University of Swaziland (UNISWA) has not marked an end to the institution’s problems.


Staff members of the higher learning institution yesterday swapped their relaxed lunch breaks and picketed at the administration block over unpaid stop orders.


On Monday afternoon, the University of Swaziland (UNISWA) Senate closed the institution due to a class boycott and disruption of lectures by students.  Yesterday, about 100 staff members who are unionised under the National Workers Union of Swaziland Higher Institutions (NAWUSHI) used their lunch hour to picket in front of the institutions’ administration block at Kwaluseni Campus.


Their main grievance was that management was deducting stop order monies from their salaries but was allegedly failing to remit it to the various service providers, something which was creating unnecessary arrears for them. They alleged this had been going on for over two years.  Lee Madzinane, the NAWUSHI First Secretary General, said they were picketing because they were trying to force the university administration to remit deducted stop orders to various service providers on a monthly basis.


“Currently, the institution deducts the money from us, but it does not remit it to the service providers and we consider this as an illegal and fraudulent act, which should be corrected immediately,” he alleged.
The alleged non-remittal of the money by the institution has caused problems for the staff members resulting in incurring arrears, attracting interest on loans and lapsing of policies in some instances.


Madzinane said the staff members had been patiently waiting for an amicable solution but it was all in vain. He said the workers viewed this as a breach of their employment contracts. 

               

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