By Mduduzi Hlophe

MBABANE: Eswatini College of Technology (ECOT) kitchen staff are demanding overtime allowances from government. 

Reached for comments, Thulani Hlatjwako, the Secretary General of NAPSAWU  said they were aware of the matter but it was still discussed at branch level.

\"We are aware of the matter but it\'s still being discussed at the Mbabane branch, all grievances need to follow all the necessary steps and processes before reaching the NEC. If these members feel that their branch is delaying them they have a right to seek audience with the NEC\", said the Secretary General. 

Bertram Stewart, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education had not responded to our questionnaire  at the time of compiling this report.

Speaking to this Swaziland News, one of the affected staff said they have been engaging the Ministry of Education over the matter since 2013 but some of their colleagues were demoted to being labourers instead.

\"We have have tried engaging the Ministry but instead of paying us the overtime allowances they decided to  demote some of our colleagues to being groundsmen. We  took the matter to the National Executive (NEC)  of the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU ) but they referred the matter back to the Mbabane branch. The matter got stuck there up to this day, we now feel like the union is also neglecting us.Some of the affected employees retired or died before this matter was solved\", said the employee.