Swaziland police have once again fired rubber bullets and teargas at women textile workers demanding their rights.
This time the police attacked workers at Zheng Yong Garment Factory who were demanding that they be paid holiday money they said was rightfully owed to them.
The Swazi Observer reports today (26 September 2008) that workers were locked out of the factory yesterday. When they arrived for work they found gates locked and a notice saying the company would remain closed with immediate effect.
The Observer said up to 3,000 angry workers chanted political songs until the police arrived.
According to the Observer, ‘Police arrived and advised them to leave but they refused. After a second warning still the workers refuse to leave the area. Police then fired teargas canisters. All hell broke loose.’
The Observer adds, ‘When the workers reiterated the police called for reinforcements.
‘It was then that the workers went into the other nearby factories, FTM Garment and HOs Enterprise where they forced the other workers out.’
Police chased the workers into a nearby forest.
The Times of Swaziland reports today that there is a long running dispute between workers and management over unpaid holiday pay. The Swazi courts are presently deliberating on the case. Workers had embarked on a sit-in protest earlier this week.
This is not the first time police have attacked textile workers with teargas and rubber bullets. In March 2008 police provoked running battles with workers who were legally striking against the poverty wages they are paid by the textile companies, most of which are owned by Taiwanese businesses.
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