Eswatini in deep political, economic crisis – TUCOSWA
MBABANE – “The country is in deep political and economic crisis that requires serious attention from everybody.”
This was said by the President of the Trade Unions Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), Bheki Mamba, when delivering his opening remarks at the Bipartite Dialogue on Jobs organised by TUCOSWA and Business Eswatini (BE).
The dialogue, which brought together workers unions’ representatives and employers started yesterday at the Happy Valley Hotel and ends today.
It was attended by several managers from different private sector businesses, and leaders of the different trade unions. Among the managers who were in attendance were BE Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nathi Dlamini, Montingy Investments CEO, Andrew Le Roux, who also happens to be BE President, Chairperson of Business Women Eswatini (BWE) Tokky Hou, Real Image’s Business Development Executive, Jennifer Neves and Lifespan Diagnotics Managing Director (MD) Zinhle Matsebula, among others.
Representatives from workers’ trade unions who attended the event included Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) President Mbongwa Dlamini, and Secretary General (SG) Sikelela Dlamini, Oscar Nkambule, the President of the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) to name a few.
Necessities
Mamba lamented on public service delivery and basic necessities being grounded. He said the public health system had literally collapsed; public clinics did not have medical drugs and working implements. He noted that workers and the underprivileged were forced to purchase medication from expensive pharmacies.
He added that universities and colleges had been closed due to lack of allowances. He said drastic increases on basic food items, fuel and transport fares had left workers and the poor vulnerable, workers were being engaged on short-term contracts without any form of benefits attached.
“Our youth has migrated across our national borders to look for job opportunities and have found it difficult to escape xenophobic violence and harassment. Some Members of Parliament are rotting in jail for simply questioning the establishment. Clearly, this points to leadership deficiency at government level,” added Mamba.
The workers’federation president said it was for that reason that there was a need to come together as a nation to build a future that would instil hope in the youth of this country.
He said the recent financial crisis had brought unemployment back to the top of the policy agendas of most countries, because of the realisation that countries with good economic outcomes had lower risks of instability and conflicts.
Mamba added that the country was becoming increasingly polarised between those who were wealthy and those who remained trapped in poverty without productive employment.
“To reverse this disastrous development, there is need to actively pursue policies that create new jobs, and raise the levels of health, social security, education and training in this country,” added the president.
He said a partnership approach was therefore required where employers and trade unions could agree on national strategies to handle the change needed.
“A prerequisite for unions to take up the responsibilities of partnerships is that, employers recognise the rights of workers to representation by their own freely chosen unions. Where employers reject the contribution unions are ready to make to the consolidation of a civil society, partnership is impossible,” said Mamba.
He added that as a federation, they strongly believe in social dialogue as a means to build new ideas and bring solutions to the table for engagements.
He said social dialogue had been charged with being insufficiently effective to prevent growing vulnerabilities and precariousness, increasing income inequalities, deregulation of industrial relations, declining collective bargaining coverage.
Mamba added that literature had shown that regimes instability, political polarisation and government repression, all had a negative impact on economic growth. He said it suggested that countries needed to address political instability, dealing with its root causes and attempting to mitigate its effect on the quality and sustainability of economic policies engendering economic growth.
Corruption
This should include the rule of law, strong institutions as opposed to powerful individuals, low corruption and an investment enabling climate. There should be political will and commitment to engage in social dialogue from all parties.
Meanwhile, Business Eswatini President, Andrew le Roux, acknowledged the fruitful partnership that had existed between employers and workers for years, especially with TUCOSWA, with whom they had a formal cooperation agreement in place.
Le Roux said as employers, they believed in dialogue, not only as a way of life, but also as a way of resolving issues in the workplace; even in homes. He said to dialogue, was in itself an expression of and a yearning for peaceful coexistence and good neighbourliness.
He mentioned that the country’s economy lied almost in ruins and it demanded men and women of goodwill to step up to the plate.
International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Employer Activist Specialist, Mario Malobetsi appreciated both BE and TUCOSWA leaders for bringing the event together.
Malobetsi acknowledged that instead of the employers and workers waiting on government for strategies to revive the economy, they stood up on their own, hence the dialogue. He said when both parties sit down, they could come up with strategies as to how businesses could cut costs to save the country’s economy.
He urged both parties in their deliberations to address issues on how workers could be motivated in order to become productive.
He said as ILO, they were fully behind the two parties and would offer any necessary upport.
After the opening remarks, the participants engaged in a breakout session, where they deliberated on several issues. The session was led by the former Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Reverend David Matshe. This session was held behind closed doors.
One of the topics discussed were the actions that could be taken to preserve and create new jobs. This included creating policies to promote entrepreneurship and innovation among the youth. Other issues discussed under this subject were the threats and opportunities resulting from the effects of the fourth industrial revolution on the labour market; addressing the skills required by industry against the skills mismatch and gaps; and the effects of climate change on the labour market and future work.
The dialogue continues today, where the parties will be deliberating on actions necessary for a free, fair and harmonious industrial relations environment. They will also deliberate on the hurdles that could prevent attaining free, fair and harmonious industrial relations.