MPS: REGISTERED FEDERATIONS NOW OBLIGATED TO HOLD AGMS

Union members during a march in the Mbabane city centre. (File pic)

MBABANE – Registered federations will now be bound, by law, to have annual general meetings. This was the decision made by the House of Assembly when they passed the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill, 2014 into law on Wednesday.

The Portfolio Committee of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, chaired by Manzini North MP Jan Sithole, had proposed that Section 32 (5) should read that copies, documents and information provided to the labour commissioner shall be kept in the office of the federation and made available for inspection  at its highest decision making structure in accordance with its constitution.
However, minister Winnie Magagula said they had no idea what ‘at its highest decision making structure’ stating that it was an unfamiliar language to them.

“We continue to propose that you accept the Bill as is because we have put it clearly that there should be an annual general meeting which is a language that is clear to everyone,” she said. Sithole, however, further proposed that both phrases be used as not all federations had AGMs, but after the House had voted it was maintained that AGM should stand.
Another victory for the minister was that the House agreed with Section 32 (c) which provides for an election by secret ballot to all offices at least once every four years.

Sithole had argued that the provision should just read that there should be regular, free and fair elections in accordance with their constitutions without specifically stating the number of years when elections should be held.

“The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 87 states that federations have the right to draw up their own constitutions and that public authorities should refrain from infringing on their rights and I personally feel that if we insist that the elections should be held every four years is an indication that government is dictating on what the workers must go about their business,” said Lobamba MP Michael Masilela. However, the House ruled that elections, which would be free and fair, should be held every four years for transparency. 

Sithole said other people who made contributions to the Bill were Mbabane Businessman Walter Bennett whom they spent about three and a half  hours while listening to his submissions.
“Other senior citizens who also made their contributions were former Senator Mbho Shongwe and Poppy Khoza who is the late Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Khoza’s wife,” he said.
  
 

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