A trade union drive is underway in Swaziland to recruit workers in the kingdom’s notorious textile
industry.
The Amalgamated Trade Union
of Swaziland (ATUSWA) has visited several factories across the kingdom.
ATUSWA’s Bongani Ndzinisa
told local media that workers in the textile industry had been neglected. The Swazi Observer reported (11 September
2017), ‘He disclosed that the union had already conducted an assessment which
indicated that the workers were faced with numerous challenges which affected
their livelihood.
‘Ndzinisa said they were in
the process of encouraging workers to join the union, after which they will be
writing to the various factories to demand recognition.’
The textile industry in
Swaziland which is mainly owned by Taiwanese interests has a long history of
exploitation.
In July 2014 a survey of
the Swaziland textile industry undertaken by the Trades Union Congress of
Swaziland (TUCOSWA) revealed workers were subjected to harsh and sometimes
abusive conditions, many of the kingdom’s labour laws were routinely violated
by employers, and union activists were targeted by employers for
punishment.
More than 90 percent of
workers surveyed reported being punished by management for making errors, not
meeting quotas or missing shifts. More than 70 percent of survey respondents
reported witnessing verbal and physical abuse in their workplace by
supervisors.
Commenting on the survey,
the American labour federation AFL-CIO said, ‘Some workers reported that
supervisors slap or hit workers with impunity. In one example, a worker knocked
to the ground by a line manager was suspended during an investigation of the
incident while the line manager continued in her job.
‘Women reported instances
of sexual harassment, as well. Several workers said they or other contract
(temporary) workers were offered a permanent job in exchange for sex.’
Mistreatment of workers in the textile industry in Swaziland has been
known for many years and workers have staged strikes and other protests to draw
attention to the situation.
In its report on human rights in Swaziland in 2013, the US State Department said wage arrears,
particularly in the garment industry, were a problem. It said, ‘workers
complained that wages were low and that procedures for getting sick leave
approved were cumbersome in some factories. The minimum monthly wage for a
skilled employee in the industry - including sewing machinists and quality
checkers - was E1,128 (US$113). Minimum wage laws did not apply to the informal
sector, where many workers were employed.
‘The garment sector also
has a standard 48-hour workweek, but workers alleged that working overtime was
compulsory because they had to meet unattainable daily and monthly production
quotas.’
A damning report on Swaziland’s textile
industry called Footloose Investors, Investing in the Garment Industry in
Africa, was published in 2007 by SOMO
– Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, in Amsterdam, The
Netherlands.
It said the Swaziland Government gave companies a large number of
incentives such as tax exemptions and duty free importation of raw materials.
The Government also allowed companies to take all profits and dividends outside
of Swaziland, which in effect meant that there was little or no investment
within Swaziland from the companies.
With a change of world trading conditions, Swaziland became less
attractive to foreign companies. In order to maintain profits the companies
began to lobby the Government for changes in the law. The companies especially
wanted laws and regulations regarding labour loosened.
SOMO concluded, ‘It seems that the public spending on building shells
and infrastructure aimed at attracting foreign investment in the garment
industry has not brought about much economic benefit so far.’
The report stated, ‘Companies have been asking for certain “incentives”
in exchange for their continued production in the country, implying that the
country owes them something for their presence.
‘One of the companies in Swaziland, for example, Tex Ray, announced its
willingness to set up a textile mill but asked in return for less stringent
labour laws and laws on the environment, and for the prices of electricity and
water to be halved. They also felt that government should subsidise the wages.’
In September 2014 hundreds of workers at Tex Ray were affected by poisonous chemical
fumes at the factory in Matsapha. Many needed hospital treatment and the
factory was closed for several days. The Swazi Observer newspaper reported allegations from workers that
retrenchment was a way for the company to avoid liability. The newspaper
reported that other textile factories, including Kartat Investments, Kasumi and
Union Industrial Washing, continued to operate.
In May 2015, it was estimated 3,000 people in the textile
industry lost their jobs when the
United States withdrew trading benefits under the Africa
Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) because of Swaziland’s poor record on human
rights which included workers’ rights.
See also
EXPLOITATION BY TAIWAN TEXTILES
MINISTER RAIDS TEXTILE FACTORY
SWAZI TEXTILE PAY STRIKE ILLEGAL
SWAZI GOVT AIDS TAIWAN EXPLOITATION
SWAZI
HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD KILLS AGOA
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2014/05/swazi-human-rights-record-kills-agoa.html
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