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TUCOSWA WARNS GOVT

21/07/2018 02:09:00 BY SIBUSISO ZWANE

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MANZINI – TUCOSWA has warned government to refrain from abusing its executive powers to distort the collective bargaining process in the workplace.

The statement, released by the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) secretariat through its acting Secretary General (SG) Mduduzi Gina follows the court judgment over the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), Secretary General, Sibusiso Lushaba.

The federation noted that it had been following with keen interest the events that have been obtaining in the public sector bargaining chamber between the government and public sector associations.
Its attention was drawn to government’s alleged delaying tactic, which had manifested itself into a gross violation of international labour standards.

The organisation said all of a sudden, government refused to continue the negotiations on the basis that Lushaba was no longer its employee and that it could not negotiate with outsiders.

According to TUCOSWA, SWADNU was a trade union organisation as envisaged by the Industrial Relations Act and not workers council. Gina said trade unions derive their fundamental rights and freedoms from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and the Right to Organise.

It said Article 3(1) of that Convention, which the country ratified, provides that worker and employer organisations should have the right to draw up their constitutions and rules, to elect their representatives in full freedom, to organise their administration and activities and to formulate their programmes.

Furthermore, he said in Article 3(2) and provides that, the public authorities should refrain from any interference which would restrict this right or impede lawful exercise thereof. “In the Recognition Agreement between the government and SWADNU, the parties agreed to recognise the association,” reads part of the statement.