18 July 2017

ATUSWA WELCOMES THE INTERIM ORDER ON ATUSWA VS “smawu” COURT CASE.

The Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland welcomes the Industrial Court Interim order which ensures that our members continue to enjoy adequate protection during the time our organization and those who call themselves “smawu” fight out the matter in Court. Our lawyer made the application for an interim order after the matter was postponed to the 16^th day of August 2017.

Our organization have FULL CONFIDENCE on the leadership of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) that they will steer the ship in the right direction during this period. We undertake to give our federation all the support required in doing what the Industrial Court Mandated our TUCOSWA to do. We are sure our members will welcome an opportunity to interact with our federation and this will also afford the federation to have first-hand information on the worker issues on the ground.

We would not have left our members to suffer for another month having stood with our organization even when coerced by their employers to ditch ATUSWA for the unholy alliance of the wounded. It is not surprising that all the SMAWU rejects are looking at this window of opportunity to divide ATUSWA, no matter how small and faint it is. We know that the bigger picture is to divide workers within ATUSWA and use them to launch a new federation which would not be viewed in the manner that the other employer formed “workers’ federation” is viewed internationally and amongst workers. These surrogates of division represent some employers, government in general and the Commissioner of Labour in particular with a glorious opportunity to resuscitate their dying dream of dividing workers in Swaziland so that TUCOSWA is weakened. Those who wish to see workers divided have realized that ATUSWA is gaining momentum and how else to stop our organization than to create a false narrative that workers who were organized under SMAWU before the amalgamation were not for ATUSWA. The mere FACT that the action is only supported by those that are power hungry and those that are not employed anywhere should inform those who wish to divide us that they will only manage to derail us from our plan, as they have done as opposed to dividing us. ATUSWA is here to stay, for God is with us.

Those who wish to see our glorious organization diminishing must be told that while they are fighting us they are also honing our skills. We have learned to accept that while we represent our members we would be fighting anyone and everyone who wish to see our members remain poor and vulnerable. We are the first to admit that we are not angels and we will always welcome constructive criticism on how we can do what we do better. We remain servants of our people; nothing more, nothing less.

The National Office Bearers of the union in its sitting yesterday mandated the Secretariat to extend the NOBs appreciation to the union organizers and shop stewards for having taken the constant and permanent attacks towards the union and transferring same to build a momentum not only to keep our existing members but also to grow the union each and every day. Every member of the union should be proud that we have doubled our membership since registration and we say THANK YOU to the hardworking Shop Stewards and the organizers. In the same vein we wish to thank all the workers who attended the Court hearing yesterday.

We trust that all affected employers will cooperate with the deployees of the federation while the debate of control rages on in Court.

Signed

Wander Mkhonza

Secretary General (for and on behalf of the NOBs)