MBABANE: Phindile Lomakhosini Dlamini, the Commissioner General of the Correctional Services is allegedly colluding with some other junior officers to establish a royalty controlled ‘union’ for junior warders.
This is not the first time King Mswati’s Government established a highly questionable union to counter and destroy associations for workers, the Swaziland Economic Improvement and Allied Workers Union(SEIWU) was established by politically connected Mashumi Shongwe with the support of a network of capitalists to neutralize unions that include the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland(ATUSWA).
A questionnaire was sent to Phindile Lomakhosini Dlamini, the Commissioner General, however, she had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
Speaking to this Swaziland News through an electronic statement, Msimisi Ginindza, the President of the Eswatini Correctional Services Staff Association(ECOSSA) confirmed the establishment of the new Association by the Correctional Services Management, he warned ECCOSSA members against joining it.
“This imposed staff association will not genuinely represent the interests of junior officers, but will instead serve as a lapdog for the employer.ECOSSA is not a part of this, and all members are requested to reject this association”, said the ECOSSA President.
Reached for comments,Wander Mkhonza,the Secretary General of the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland(ATUSWA) urged warders to reject the union established by their superiors.
“These junior Correctional officers worked hard to ensure that their right to associate is recognized, they must not throw away that right. What is happening now is exactly what Government normally does,establish State controlled union to disrupt and divide workers, they must just reject this association,” said the ATUSWA Secretary General.
Correctional Services Commissioner General Phindile Vilakati.