Africa-Press – Eswatini. Phila Buthelezi, the Minister of Labour and Social Security has officially opened the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC) Siphofaneni Branch, bringing the labour dispute resolution services closer to the people.
The Labour and Social Security Minister officially opened the new Siphofaneni CMAC Branch last week and the event was attended by high profile people and other stakeholders within the corporate sector.
Reached for comments, Wander Mkhonza, the Secretary General of the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland (ATUSWA) said bringing services closer to the people will only be beneficial to the workers once CMAC “prioritizes the speed resolution” of labour disputes.
“It is really appreciated that CMAC demonstrates that it has a desire to bring services near the people but opening offices does not complete the picture. The picture would be completed when CMAC is able to speedily resolve disputes and the commission is no near meeting that strategic objective which is also its primal mandate. For example ATUSWA has got 2 matters pending at Arbitration for 7 months when they ought to have been concluded in 45 days and these are matters which are fundamental rights since they involve freedom of association and the right to organize,” said the ATUSWA Secretary General.
