UNESWA notching strike officially called off

MANZINI- University of Eswatini (UNESWA) employees have officially called off their legal strike action, after the university has granted them their demand.

Subsequent to the return of UNESWA employees, who had been away from the institution for about two months, while they were on a non-stop legal strike over notching, the employees have since called off the strike.

The academic employees under the Association of Lecturers Academic and ACADEMIC Personnel (ALAAP) and non-academic workers under the National Workers Union in Swaziland Higher Institution (NAWUSHI), returned to work after a collective agreement between the university and workers was reached following a series of negotiations over notching.

The university had agreed to give workers two movements of notches between 2020/21 and 2022/23, and two back pays for six months each. This was effective from October 2022.

Implemented

Meanwhile, ALAAP General Secretary (GS) Dr Mduduzi Shongwe confirmed that they had cancelled the strike, because the university implemented the notching.

“The strike is over and we will never go back to it. If there will ever be another strike, it will not be over the issue of notching because it has been sorted,” Dr Shongwe said.

He elaborated that they were yet to write to CMAC and the commissioner of Labour to inform them about these developments, as per the law. Meanwhile, the general secretary stated that what they were going to demand now was notching for the current year. Dr Shongwe said they were hoping that the employer would engage on negotiations with them so that the matter could be addressed hastily.

“But over and above, we are back at work and we commend the employer for fulfilling her promise. That in essence is good spirit and we appreciate it,” the GS said.

He added that going forward, there were major issues experienced at the university, including shortage of working tools, and the issue of the university failing to remit. He said they were still going to engage the university over these issues.

UNESWA Registrar, Dr Salebona Simelane said there was nothing he could say except that the university kept its promise two days after signing the agreement with the employees.