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MBABANE – Prime Minister (PM) Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, says Eswatini is an advocate for universal and lasting peace and social justice, which both fall under the pillars of the United Nations (UN).
Dlamini was speaking during the launch and signing of the Eswatini Decent Work Country Programme (EDWCP) for 2022-2025. The event was held at Mountain View Hotel yesterday.
The document EDWCP outlines the programme that government, employers, and employees plan to implement in order to improve the general labour environment.
It is aimed at, among other things, improving the standard of living in the country, promoting decent employment and income opportunities as well as enhancing the development of social security, social dialogue and fundamental principles and rights at work.
When delivering his remarks, Dlamini said Eswatini as a member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), was an advocate of universal and lasting peace and social justice, which both fall under the pillars of the UN. He said yesterday’s event sought to endorse the country’s commitment towards promoting these pillars, and to showcase some of the initiatives that have been implemented by government in an effort to ensure the implementation of international labour standards and improve social justice.
The PM said since joining ILO in 1975, the Kingdom of Eswatini had ratified 33 ILO conventions, including eight out of the 10 core conventions and two out of the four ILO governance (or priority) conventions, the rest being technical conventions.
He said in an effort to implement the ratified international labour standards in law and practice, that Eswatini had passed into law through various pieces of labour legislative instruments.
He said such included; but are not limited, to the following:
The Employment Act No. 5 of 1980 (as amend● ed);
The Industrial Relations Act No. 1 of 2000 (as amended);
The Wages Act No. 16 of 1964;
The Regulations of Wages Orders negotiated by Eighteen (18) Wages Councils for various economic sectors;
Dlamini said a majority of these pieces of legislations were already undergoing legislative reforms in an effort to update and align them to the international labour standards that have been adopted by the ILO over the years, as well as to give effect to the recommendations of the ILO supervisory bodies, in particular the Industrial Relations Act and the Employment Act.
He noted that the government had also reviewed various other legislative instruments which were not labour related, in an effort to comply with recommendations of the ILO’s supervisory bodies, which requested the country to align these legislations with ratified international labour standards.
He said it was indeed pleasing to note that the second-generation Decent Work Country Programme built on the progress and lessons learnt from the previous DWCP, while also responding to new challenges and opportunities.
ILO Director Decent Work Country Office Dr Joni Musabayana, said the signing of the Decent Work Country Programme signified Eswatini’s commitment to ensure a labour market that was at peace and harmony
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● with itself. He said the signing also symbolises the work programme, which the employers, trade unions and government had agreed to work together to achieve, to foster labour market harmony desired.
He said this signing was a long time coming. He noted that the last Eswatini DWCP was from 2010 – 2014 and extended to 2018. “We had an evaluation of that DWCP. The main conclusion from that evaluation was that the level of implementation was low – about 33 per cent,” said Dr Musabayana.
The director said this current DWCP was therefore developed over a long period of time.
He said this signing symbolised the work programme which the employers in their plurality Business Botswana and FSBC, trade unions – in their plurality Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) and Federation of Swaziland Trade Union (FESWATU) and government had agreed to work together on to achieve the labour market harmony we all desire.
He said this signing was even more important given the important leadership role Eswatini was playing on the ILO Governing Body.
Dr Musabayan said as ILO they took part in this signing as a commitment to support the tripartite partners of Eswatini to implementing the work programme to bring lasting peace and harmony in the labour market in the Kingdom. “As ILO we say we are with you and remain available to walk with you on this important journey,” he said.