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UNIONS ENGAGE ANOTHER GEAR IN COLA STRUGGLE

14/09/2019 00:12:00 BY Sibusiso Zwane

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MANZINI – It’s do or die! This is one of the phrases that best describes how civil servants, organised under public sector associations (PSAs) perceive their intended Cost-of-Living Adjustment (CoLA) strike action.

During the final day of the PSAs mass mobilisation process, which was in form of branch meetings, the Manzini branch came to a conclusion that during the 2020/21 financial year, it was highly likely that government would not award them the three per cent CoLA, as per Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini’s statement.

They said after analysing the prevailing situation, it was highly likely that government would award a salary adjustment which would be lesser than the zero per cent which it offered them in the past two financial years (2017/18 and 2018/19).

In fact, they said if they could not engage another gear during their intended mass strike action, they might get a negative salary adjustment in the 2020/21 financial year. Their argument was that government had already slashed politicians’ salaries and they believe that if they would not engage a combat gear to fight for a reasonable salary adjustment, nothing would stop the administration from slashing their wages.

“The slashing of politicians’ salaries is a strategy by government to prepare us for a negative salary adjustment, which is imminent,” they said.
They made an example of the university students by saying government wanted to give them E800 personal allowances per month but after they united and spoke in one voice, the administration increased it by over 100 per cent to E1 690 per month.

“The students, especially those from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) had a vigil where they ‘prayed and casted out demons from government’ and the administration offered them much improved monthly allowances,” they said.

On that note, the PSAs leaders, who were led by SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini, released a new programme of action to be taken as they build-up to their proposed mass industrial action.

They said since the branch meetings came to an end yesterday, on Tuesday they would simultaneously deliver petitions to various government departments in the four regions of the country. The march to deliver the petitions will be held in Mbabane, Manzini, Nhlangano and Siteki. Thereafter, they said on September 20, they would have a PSAs joint mass meeting at the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Centre.

They said during the meeting, they would be delivering reports on how the petition delivery marches went in the regions and discuss other issues pertaining to their proposed mass protest action. After that, they agreed that on September 23, 2019, they would stage marches in the four cities and towns (Mbabane, Manzini, Nhlangano and Siteki). During these marches, they said they would collect responses from the various government departments which they would have petitioned on September 17, 2019.

Vigil

Moreover, they said on September 24, 2019, they would hold a vigil at SNAT Centre, which would be followed by the mass action in Mbabane on September 25, 2019.

On another note, the PSAs leaders said even though they had not invited anyone to join them in the intended mass industrial action, they had been visited by a number of partners. Some of the partners that they listed included students, workers from the transport industry, including truck drivers and sister unions among others.

They said the main purpose of their visit was to sympathise with them regarding their plight, especially on CoLA. However, they mentioned that in turn, they also notified them about their intended strike action. “We are not inviting anyone to join us but we will welcome the presence and support from any person,” they said.

It is worth noting that three out of the four unions under PSAs would partake in the intended strike action and they are; SNAT, National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) and Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP).