Africa-Press – Eswatini. ESWATINI is set to benefit from SADC ministers of employment and labour and social partners meeting that was held in Malawi.
Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi led the Eswatini delegation. The minister stated that the meeting was for technical working groups, revealing that the ministry’s experts including Labour Commissioner Mthunzi Shabangu, Principal Secretary John Hlophe were also part of it.
He added that the delegation was formed by Business Eswatini and Trade Unions Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) representatives.
Buthelezi added that this was the first post COVID-19 meeting, where different sections pertaining labour laws were considered.
“This meeting was a fruitful one and the experts had drafted proposals and a number of them were endorsed. Other issues included political interests as the unions felt their rights were violated. We also looked at how we can strengthen the working relationships between governments, employers and employees as well as finding solutions on how to recover from the pandemic effects as SADC region,” he said.
The ministers stated that working as a tripartite was one of the reasons the adoptions were made by the regional ministers.
“There is no case that was directly about Eswatini or any other country during the discussions because it was situations that affect the whole region.
As Eswatini, we had to deliver a report as we represented SADC in international labour organisation director general elections.
“We had to give a report about how that fared in Geneva, how the elections went and how the candidates in Africa performed. For the first time Gilbert Houngbo from Togo won and congratulatory messages were extended. The next meeting will be held in the Republic of Congo,” he said.
The meeting was also to deliberate and make decisions to strengthen labor administration systems and enhance the prospects of decent work for people in the region.
Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs in Malawi Nancy Tembo, who is also the current chairperson of the SADC Council of ministers, highlighted that the meeting was held under the theme of the 41st sadc summit meeting of “bolstering productive capacities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic for inclusive, sustainable economic and industrial transformation”.
She noted that the pandemic had seriously impacted labour markets with many jobs and businesses having been lost and many workers and employers losing their lives.
She highlighted the need for member states to continue responding to the pandemic by investing in economic stimulus packages, adopting pro-employment budgeting, extending social protection coverage and enhancing occupational safety and health, among other measures.
In addition, she called upon the SADC employment and labour sector to come up with strategies to deal with the transformative changes in the world of work, including those related to climate change and demographic transitions.
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