MPs want probe into transition of 2 companies
MBABANE – Kwaluseni MP Sibusiso Mabhanisi Dlamini got the support of other MPs when raising concerns on some companies which drop employees without paying them exit packages.
A motion without notice was moved successfully by the Member of Parliament (MP), giving the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Phila Buthelezi, 21 days to constitute a commission of enquiry and submit a report on two companies whose conversion and transition left many emaSwati lamenting about unfair labour practices, according to the legislator.
This is in respect to the conversion of Chevron Eswatini to Puma Eswatini as well as that of Eswatini Beverages to AB-Inbev Eswatini.
Motion
In the motion without notice, the MP moved that the Labour minister should consider instituting a commission of enquiry to establish whether labour laws were complied with during the transition leading to the conversion of Chevron Eswatini to Puma Eswatini with regard to employees who exited during the transition and some who transferred to the new entity. The period under scrutiny is post August 31, 2014.
The other is to establish whether labour laws were complied with during the transition leading to the conversion of Eswatini Beverages to AB-Inbev Eswatini, whose employees exited during the transition as well as those who transferred to the new entity. The period under scrutiny is post October 2016.
The minister was urged to further submit a report within a period of 21 days after the adoption of the motion.
The motion was seconded by Nkwene MP Vulimpompi Nhleko in the absence of Ntfonjeni MP Sifiso Sompisi Magagula, who was the initial seconder of the motion.
When motivating his motion, Dlamini mentioned that there was an outcry from former employees of the two companies in that labour laws, which the legislator did not divulge much information on, save to say some of the employees, as they alleged, were not given what was due to them in terms of exit packages, having been relieved of their duties during the transitions and conversions.
Enquiry
“These remain allegations but the enquiry is meant to unearth whether there is any truth in what the employees are complaining about. This is not the day to get into the merits of the matter, but we ought to wait for the report and take it from there as parliamentarians,” he submitted.
Motshane MP Robert Magongo submitted that this was a serious issue that ought to be given the serious attention it deserved. He said as emaSwati, they were not taken seriously by some of the investors in the country, as they had the tendency to disregard employees when transitioning businesses locally, overlooking the labour laws that entailed a smooth transition, including giving exit packages to those employees whose services would no longer be needed.
“Lena siyayifuna laphalamende – we seriously need this one in Parliament. We can’t have people mistreating emaSwati and the latter not getting their benefits. The minister should see it fit to work on this enquiry and furnish Parliament with the report,” he said.
Rumour
Manzini North MP Macford Sibandze submitted that rumour had it that it was very tough in some of the companies in the country, which he referred to as ‘emafemini’, as seemingly a conglomerate of learned individuals made a deal to take advantage of the needy emaSwati, leading to the challenges that the enquiry would address.
“The fellow emaSwati are powerless but the only power they have is that they know that they have representatives in Parliament in the form of an MP and they have high hopes that within a period of 21 days, this House would look into these issues that have been ongoing for the past years. This is very painful, God’s temple has become a labour temple at emafemini and nobody seems to care about the welfare of the workers there. The eyes of the world market are not there, but the eyes of the world market in this case are in the money,” he said.
Sibandze said there was no job security there and, within the twinkling of an eye, one could find themselves at home and he shared that he was speaking from a personal experience, as he was once employed at the factories.
“It is one of the reasons I decided to join politics so that I could help people out of situations of this nature,” he shared.
Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo said he was confident and had faith that the minister, whom he deemed young and energetic and also new in the ministry, would want to leave a legacy through this matter.
The legislator mentioned that the mover of the motion was being candid in saying these were allegations, which was what the law required when one could not prove something.
“What kind of an allegation if one will work for 40 years in a company and go home empty-handed. It is painful to us as representatives of the people in Parliament when they will be disadvantaged using the very legislation of this country in courts, overlooking that the person has indeed worked for 40 years and deserves to take home something. This is a very heartless situation,” he shared.
Request
Khumalo said some time back he was visited by two men from his constituency, who had come to request him to look into this matter and he was touched by what they told him.
“We can’t have investors come here and abuse our fellow emaSwati who have been loyal for many years and get nothing for their loyalty. I fully support this initiative by the mover and seconder and I wish this could be worked on as soon as possible so that emaSwati could be assisted,” he submitted.
The motion without notice was adopted by the MPs and the minister was given 21 days to submit a report which would then be debated in the House of Assembly.