SWAZI GOVERNMENT WANTS TUCOSWA BURIED

#SWAZI GOVERNMENT WANTS TUCOSWA BURIED

The Swaziland government has approached the Industrial Court of Swaziland for an order declaring that the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) is not a workers federation. The case will be heard by the industrial court today. TUCOSWA was deregistered early this year and workers have been harassed and arrested by the police for wearing t-shirts with the logo of the organization. According to the government’s court papers, the laws of Swaziland do not provide for the registration of organizations like TUCOSWA since the Industrial Relations Act 2000(as amended) only refers to trade union, staff association or employers’ association.

TUCOSWA was able to successfully merge the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) and the Swaziland Federation of Labour (SFL) to bargain collectively for workers’ rights in Swaziland. The deregistration of TUCOSWA was necessitated by the vibrancy of the organization and the huge support it had both local and international. The case comes at a time when many Swazis are calling for the unbanning of political parties and their participation in the upcoming 2013 national elections. The government has continued to silence dissenting voices and disregard the Constitution. Last month members of parliament passed a vote of no confidence on cabinet ministers which was later withdrawn due to defiance by the ministers.