The Swaziland Industrial Court has forced teachers to
postpone a strike planned to start on Tuesday and banned outright one by public
service workers.
The rulings came days after police violently attacked
legal protests by workers.
The court case was deemed so important to the state
where King Mswati III rules as absolute monarch that Swaziland’s
Attorney-General Sifiso Khumalo presented it himself. Government
Press Secretary Percy Simelane was also in attendance.
On Sunday (23 September 2018) the Industrial Court
heard two separate submissions; one from the Swaziland National Association of
Teachers (SNAT) and the other from the National Public Service and Allied
Workers Union (NAPSAWU). Both unions are seeking pay increases,
they have asked for 7.85 percent cost of living adjustments and the government
which says it is broke has offered zero percent.
Judge Dumsani Mazibuko ruled that the three-day SNAT strike
which was due to start on Tuesday (25 September 2018) was legal but should be
postponed until 23 November 2018 until a new government was in place. Swaziland
voters went to the polls on Friday and the kingdom (recently
renamed Eswatini by King Mswati III) is waiting for him choose a new
Prime Minister and government. Political parties are banned from taking part in
the election and the choice of government rests with the King.
The judge said the NAPSAWU strike which was started
last week and was due to continue could not go ahead because the union had not
given sufficient notice under the kingdom’s Industrial Relations Act.
Previously, of the 3,635 civil servants who participated in a strike ballot, 3,593
voted in favour.
In the week before the court case trade
unionists organised by the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) staged
three days of strikes and protests in Mbabane, Manzini, Nhlangano and Siteki.
On the first day they were
met with violence. Videos
and photographs of brutal
police attacks were uploaded on social media throughout the day.
On the second day police turned
the city of Manzini into a ‘battlefield’ and ‘warzone’ as they fired
stun grenades, teargas, teasers and rubber bullets at protestors.
Police also attacked teachers at their union headquarters
in Manzini and ordered them out of the premises before assaulting them, according
to local media reports.
The Times
of Swaziland reported, ‘The protesting
workers were stuck at SNAT Centre as the armed police surrounded the building
and threw stun grenades, while firing tear gas canisters at anyone leaving the
venue.’
In a separate incident on 24 August 2018 police fired
gunshots at teachers, wounding one.
See also
Police Turn Swaziland City Into ‘Warzone’ as
National Strike Enters Second Day
Widespread
Condemnation of Swaziland Police Brutal Attacks on Workers
Vicious
Attack by Swaziland Police on Defenceless Workers Captured on Video
Swaziland
Police Fire Gunshots During Textiles Dispute, Third Attack on Workers in a Week
https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2018/09/swaziland-police-fire-gunshots-during.html
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