Africa-Press – Eswatini. The Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) will from today until Friday engage in marches against the rising cost of goods and services in the country.
This was confirmed by TUCOSWA Secretary General Mduduzi Gina yesterday.
According to Gina, TUCOSWA and its 18 affiliates would from today march to the prime minister, deputy prime minister’s office, ministries of commerce, labour and social security to deliver petitions.
Some of the affiliates include the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), the Swaziland Democratic Nurses’ Union (SWADNU), the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), the National Workers Union of Swaziland Higher Institutions (NAWUSHI) and Swaziland Transport Communication and Allied Workers Union (SWATCAWU),
Gina said after delivering the petitions, they would engage in a membership and national mobilisation and consultation programme that would be organised regionally.
He said a schedule that clearly outlines the details would be released in due course.
The organisation said they had noted with great concern the ever escalating cost of goods and services, the recent one being oil products and bread.
“Our analysis, having been informed by historical price hikes, reveals that there is no end in sight for such exponential price increases. The socio-economic situation will undoubtedly get worse before it gets any better,” said the organisation.
Hikes
The organisation further claimed that even though those in higher echelons of power attribute such price hikes to the current state of world economic and political affairs, as the labour movement they held a different view.
It stated that such economic tremors were a consequence of the inter-play between what happens at the global stage and domestically.
“The high unemployment rate coupled with the extra-ordinary low salaries that are given to workers has reduced the amount of money that is in circulation at any given moment.
“Such social issues are a direct product of our weak political system,” said the secretariat.
According to the organisation, the escalating prices of goods and services would wreak havoc to all sectors of society.
Hit
It said those who would be hit the hardest include workers, elderly dependants (retired), students and the unemployed.
TUCOSWA further claimed that with the minimum wage campaign still not won, it meant many of their members would be worse off with increasing transport costs and the price of food.
“Those in gainful employment will have their salaries overstretched as they also try to share the little they have with the rest of their family members.”
The organisation also stated that without adequate increased salaries, the unaffordability rate would increase by the day among the working population.
It stated that one of the obvious attendant problems of high prices of goods was the increase of unemployment and un-employability in the economically active population.
“All these economic shocks will adversely affect the elderly who are getting social grants that do not make them live a decent life. Such fuel and goods price increases, therefore, spell doom for the elderly.
Students will be forced to learn on empty stomachs. Many of our children will attend schools and colleges without having taken proper breakfast because of the high cost of bread,” the secretariat said.
Action
It said as a result, at a consultative national general council (NGC) meeting of the federation that was held on May 18, 2022 in Manzini, workers resolved on a national course of action against the escalating prices of goods and services.
The organisation stated that the decision to engage in this kind of action was not only based on the fact that such price hikes affect workers directly but also on the fact that the hikes were of a socio-economic nature and they impact negatively on all sectors of the society.
TUCOWSA said as a result, a rollout action had been planned.
According to the action plan, today national office bearers of all their affiliates shall deliver petitions to the government ministries as identified above.
Gina said they would not apply for a permit from the municipality for today’s march from the municipality because only TUCOSWA leadership and its affiliates, who would be less than 50 would participate.
According to Gina the Public Order Act of 2017 provides that no permission shall be sought for a march of people who were less than 50.
He said it was for that reason that they did not apply for the permit from the municipality.
Marches
He did, however, disclose that for the other marches that would take place tomorrow and Friday, they would apply for the permit since they would be more than 50 given that they would be joined by their members.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service Sipho Tsabedze said TUCOSWA and its affiliates were mandated by the law to file notices and apply for a permit from the local municipality before engaging in any form of a march.
He said failure to march without a permit would be a violation of the law.
Efforts to obtain a comment from the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Makhosini Mndawe hit a snag.
At first, Mndawe requested that a questionnaire should be sent to him, however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
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