UNIONS: LETTER TO COMMONWEALTH

TUC letter to the Commonwealth Secretary-General

Mr Kamalesh Sharma

Secretary General
Commonwealth Secretariat
Marlborough House
Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5HX

Dear Secretary General

Swaziland: deregistration of the national trade union centre

The TUC, the voice of Britain at work and a member - through the 30 million members of the Commonwealth Trade Union Group (CTUG) - of the Commonwealth family, urges you to consider the suspension of the Kingdom of Swaziland from the Commonwealth due to its flagrant and repeated breaches of democratic, human and trade union rights.

This call, made initially at the Commonwealth People's Forum by the CTUG with the support of the Swazi trade union movement, has been further justified by the decision of the Swazi Government on 5 April to deregister the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), formed last month by a merger of the two main national trade union confederations (SFL and SFTU) and the Swaziland National Association of Teachers. I enclose a letter I have, as part of an international protest, sent to the Swazi High Commissioner to London on that issue.

The Kingdom of Swaziland, despite its formal constitution, is no democracy, and is therefore outwith the Harare Principles of the Commonwealth. Action must be taken by the Commonwealth to uphold those Principles in Swaziland as is currently being done in respect of Fiji. In particular, I would urge you to impress upon the Government of Swaziland the need to avoid a confrontation with demonstrators for democracy on the forthcoming 12 April anniversary of the suspension of democracy.

Yours sincerely

BRENDAN BARBER

General Secretary

See also

UNION ATTACK: ‘SUSPEND SWAZILAND’

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/04/union-attack-suspend-swaziland.html

SWAZILAND GOVERNMENT ATTACKS TRADE UNIONS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/04/union-congress-deregistered.html

UNION ATTACK: FULL TUC STATEMENT

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/04/union-attack-full-tuc-statement.html

UNION ATTACK: LETTER TO SWAZI HC

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/04/union-attack-letter-to-swazi-hc.html

UNION ATTACK: LETTER TO SWAZI HC

TUC letter to the Swazi High Commissioner - 7 April 2012

Her Excellency Mrs Dumsile T Sukati
High Commissioner
Kingdom of Swaziland High Commission
20 Buckingham Gate
London SW1E 6LB

Dear High Commissioner

Deregistration of TUCOSWA

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is the voice of Britain at work, and on behalf of the six million members of our affiliated trade unions, I wish to register with you and your Government our serious concerns about the deregistration of our sister organisation in Swaziland, the TUCOSWA and our desire that this deregistration be lifted. In particular, I would urge that you communicate urgently to your Government the need to avoid a confrontation with the trade union and democratic forces who plan to protest for human and trade union rights on 12 April.

I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to make the case for the restoration of registration, and the abandonment of attempts to harass and intimidate the trade union movement of Swaziland.

Your Government's intention to deregister was communicated to TUCOSWA by letter and confirmed at a meeting between the Labour Commissioner and TUCOSWA on Thursday 5 April. The argument advanced by the Attorney General and the Labour Commissioner - that there is no provision for such registration in Swazi law, demonstrates how far out of compliance with ILO Convention 87 your Government now is, and threatens the existence also of the employers' federation.

This latest step undermines your Government's attempts to persuade the international community that reform is underway. We are sure that the International Labour Organisation's Committee on Freedom of Association will add this to the charge sheet against your Government at the ILO Conference this summer.

Meanwhile, everyday life in Swaziland continues to be marked by serious violations of democratic, human and trade union rights. These include extrajudicial killings by security forces, mob killings, the use of torture by the police, beatings and the use of excessive force on detainees, police impunity, arbitrary arrests and lengthy pre-trial detentions, restrictions on freedom of assembly, association and movement, prohibitions on political activity and harassment of political activists, discrimination and violence against women, the harassment of labour leaders, and restrictions on workers' rights.

To date, political parties remain forbidden, in spite of the adoption of a new Constitution in 2005, which in itself is still highly ineffective in preserving fundamental democratic rights, including trade union rights. Trade union activities are systematically labelled as political and then severely repressed.

I would be grateful for your urgent attention.

Yours sincerely

BRENDAN BARBER

General Secretary

See also

UNION ATTACK: ‘SUSPEND SWAZILAND’

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/04/union-attack-suspend-swaziland.html

SWAZILAND GOVERNMENT ATTACKS TRADE UNIONS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/04/union-congress-deregistered.html

UNION ATTACK: FULL TUC STATEMENT

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/04/union-attack-full-tuc-statement.html

UNIONS: LETTER TO COMMONWEALTH

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/04/unions-letter-to-commonwealth.html

SWAZI MARCH BAN BREAKS ILO CODE

The following letter calling the ban on marches in Swaziland a ‘gross violation of the International Labour Organisation’s’ Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work’ was sent by the British Trades Union Congress (TUC) to the Swazi High Commission in London yesterday (8 April 2011).

SOURCE

8 April 2001

Dear High Commissioner

Ban on peaceful protests in Swaziland

The TUC General Council join me in expressing our deep concern over the ban on the peaceful protest planned by the trade union movement for 12-14 April 2011 in Swaziland.

The Press Statement issued on 7 April 2011 from the Prime Minister's Office declares the planned protest action illegal and warns that it will be 'viewed as representing a threat to law-abiding members of society.'

The banning of peaceful protests and the repression of the freedom of expression are a gross violation of the ILO Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Moreover, the Government of Swaziland, which ratified Convention 98 and Convention 87, is obliged to observe the workers' rights enshrined in them. In addition, the ban is tantamount to an infringement of Article 25 of the Swazi constitution which guarantees the freedom of assembly and association.

We urge you to pass on our deep concern over the ban on the planned protest action to your Government, and use your influence with the authorities to ensure that peaceful protests are allowed to take place without interference from the State.

Yours sincerely

Brendan Barber

General Secretary