MBABANE:Industrial Court Judge DF Dlamini-Nga’ndu has dismissed an urgent application by the Swaziland Agricultural Plantations Workers Union(SAPWU), seeking to interdict Tambuti Estate from not remitting the union members’ subscriptions as per a recognition agreement.
This comes after the company stopped remitting the subscriptions amid serious infighting and confusion within the union’s leadership.
The union has been marred by allegations of corruption as the leadership stands accused of refusing to vacate office after the end of the Executive members term office while failing to account for the workers funds.
“It is also worth pointing out that the very presence of internal friction in the organization SAPWU and SAPWU has compounded the confusion that clearly lead to the Respondent believing that the two were one organization and the executive of both not,bringing to the Respondent's attention this confusion. The Respondent cannot therefore clearly be forced to adhere to provisions of an illegal agreement or compelled to continue with remittances of subscriptions where there exists no lawful recognition agreement, which is in terms of the Industrial Relations Act of 2000”,reads the judgement in part,delivered this week.
The union had taken Tambuti Estate to court seeking an order interdicting the company from not remitting the subscriptions.
But the union has been marred by serious conflicts within its leadership structures with it’s members within the various companies calling for the resignation of the leadership and an urgent audit.
Industrial Court Judge dismisses SAPWU urgent application,says Tambuti Estate cannot be forced to pay subscriptions amid confusion and infighting within trade union leadership.