NHLANGANO: Nathie Simelane, the FTM Garments Manager allegedly wrote a letter to the Shiselweni Regional Police Commander, requesting for the deployment of police officers to stop a strike action and the immediate arrest of ATUSWA Secretary General Wander Mkhonza.
This comes after Mkhonza of the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland (ATUSWA) led workers in a strike action demanding salary increment.
“We further appeal to the Station Commander to immediately arrest the said Wonder Mkhonza, who is the perpetrator of these illegal acts, even after the Committee from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security told him yesterday that what he is doing outside the Factories is illegal”, reads the letter in part that was co-signed by Human Resources Manager Lucky Gina.
Lucky Gina, the Human Resources Manager was reached for comments but he referred comments to the Public Relations Manager without mentioning the name of said manager
“I think the Public Relations Manager is the rightful person to comment,” he said.
Police Spokesperson Phindile Vilakati had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
Reached for comments, Wander Mkhonza, the ATUSWA Secretary General said the sooner the employers realize that the solution to this problem lies not with the police or the courts but with their employees, the better.
“This stand-off can only be broken through a sound and honest engagement between the employers and ATUSWA. Moreover, we would like to say that arresting of anyone in the leadership of ATUSWA will not solve the problem. This struggle is for workers, and they are fully behind their demands. We encourage all workers to continue to persuade their colleagues to desist from going to work before the employers give in to their demands,” said the ATUSWA Secretary General.
Textile workers in eSwatini are struggling with low salaries, companies ‘underpay’ employees using the various Government Gazettes that turned Swazis into cheap labour.
FTM Garments workers on strike last week.