IRALE

SWATCAWU delivering petition to Parsons

comrades are invited to enrol on the online corse on iversity. the name of the course is "Workers Rights in a Global Economy" which already running.
once again the site : iversity.org
Course name: Workers Rights in a Global Economy

after we failed to share the article as is, we opted to "copy-paste" it here.
this is a story on the Independent On Line (IOL)

Labour delegation condemns Swaziland
May 24 2015 at 12:54pm
By Lewis Simelane

Mbabane - A delegation from the International Trade Union Confederation (Ituc) has concluded an inspection tour of Swaziland with a condemnation of the government for repressing workers’ rights and enabling police to crack down on pro-democracy activists.

The criticism should dim hopes by the government that the US will readmit the country into the African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa) trade scheme.

“Repressive legislation used by police against union activities still has not been addressed by parliament, even as the government continues to imprison human rights activists for exercising their right to freedom of speech,” said a report by the US American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL/CIO), which was part of the Ituc delegation.

Ituc deputy general secretary Wellington Chibebe chaired the group.

The group’s report will be presented next week to the European Parliament, which is considering tying EU trade agreements with Swaziland to democratic reforms thus far resisted by King Mswati III.



Restricted access

The delegation attempted to see political prisoners in jail but was blocked by the government, which insists no political prisoners exist in Swaziland.

The registration of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (Tucoswa) was revoked in 2013 by the government, which said Tucoswa had a secret political agenda and was therefore a political party and not a trade federation.

Political parties are banned.

The US ejected Swaziland from Agoa last year for failing to meet five benchmarks including the re-registration of Tucoswa.

Other benchmarks included abolition of anti-labour and anti-human rights laws.

Last week, the government allowed Tucoswa to re-register. Minister of Labour Winnie Magagula felt the move was enough for Swaziland’s readmission into Agoa.

However, Jos Williams, an Ituc delegate member from the AFL/CIO, said the government had not addressed four key benchmarks to secure workers rights and end the use of security forces against pro-democracy groups.

“The government must meet the demands the Ituc delegation has made if the Ituc is to give a favourable report (to the European Parliament) by the end of the month,” Williams said in an AFL/CIO press release.

The delegation reported that two days after the Swazi government allowed Tucoswa's registration, police assembled around the union office “in a show of force”.

Agoa, which must be re-authorised by US Congress by September when it expires, was responsible for significant growth in Swaziland’s manufacturing sector since 2002.

The loss of export privileges to the US, where Swazi goods were excluded from import duties under Agoa, has led to the closure of several textile factories.

Surely the voice of the struggling masses in Swaziland is reaching far and wide

Clean your house, EU tells Mswati - Africa | IOL News South Africa's Premier Online News Source. Discover the world of IOL, News South Africa, Sport, Business, Financial, World News, Entertainment, Technology, Motoring, Travel, Property, Classifieds & more.

IRALE wishes to congratulate the workers of Swaziland for the breakthrough in their fight for the registration of their federation of choice "TUCOSWA". Their unparalleled determination has finally paid off. It is commendable and highly encouraging to see workers standing up for what they believe in.
No amount of state intimidation and harassment could deter the determined workers.
Unreserved appreciations and fraternal gratitude goes to the workers and all fraternal friends all-over the world that supported the noble cause of the workers in Swaziland. They put to practical reality the solidarity historical with comradeship. The voce of the workers n Swaziland was amplified and spread by our true friends. We are aware that the Swazi government did not voluntarily register TUCOSWA but it was under pressure from within and beyond the country, and our friends are responsible for the word that went far. The comrades risked it all and against all odds stood by the poor and down troddlen people of Swaziland. May we add though that this regime has a history of extreme hypocrisy, and as such we appeal for your support as the going is still long. The battle may have been won, but the war still rages on. We appeal for your support every step of the way.
the workers still have a responsibility and duty to defend this gain made thus far. This is just the beginning and a much more complicated battle has just began. it calls upon tworkers to put on new set of lenses to see the subtle or cold war soon to be waged by the state. This is a protracted struggle and sustainablity on the side of workers is essential.
There is need to force the government not only to pay lip service to the respect of workers rights, but workers have the duty to have their rights unconditionally respected by ALL!!
FORWARD TO WORKERS UNITY!!

25th July 2014 marks yet another sad day when Mpendulo Simelane hammered yet another nail in freedom coffin. We are still shocked at the arrogance and lack of logic in the conduct of not only Mpendulo but the judiciary, not only from the minister himself, but he who is above the minister. The sentence is not far fetched from the conduct displayed by Mpendulo during the course of the case. Indeed he was right when he said the case was political.
We can now safely mourn the the death of the most essential aspect of credible judiciary; independence. There is no more doubt that indeed the courts are not impartial. Further this proves that more than two people are above the law in this country.
We have not forgotten that Thulani Maseko and Bheki Makhubu are in jail not only for speaking the truth but for standing on the side of justice. it all began with the harassment and victimization of Bhantjana Gwebu in his line of duty. The two shared their thought on the how Michael Ramodibedi abused power and denied Bhantjana justice, interesting enough, Mpendulo features as he was the DPP then. It however comes as no shock that this is the price others will pay for defending the defenseless and poor workers.

We wake up to yet another proof of a system of governance that does not have the interest of people at heart. The deliebrate neglecting of the AGOA issue by the government is nothing but proof of no will to improve lives of the people.
It should be noted that the conditions as set out by the USA were not necessarily far fetched,neither imposed on the government of Swaziland. Truth is that the government committed itself in last year's ILO Geneva conference. In fact the the Swaziland government had said it needed two weeks post the closure of that conference, and that was in May 2013. All the USA governemnt was to to put the 15th May 2014 as an ultimatum for AGOA. It should be noted that Swaziland had been in the ILO special paragraph for three terms in sucession, and was removed last year after it made this commitment.
It is therefore sad to know that our government's failure to live to its promise has led to this situation. The USA made it clear to everybody that should the Swazi government fail to do as it promised by the 15th May 2014, then they (USA) will be left with no option but to remove Swaziland from AGOA.
The government should have proved by action the love it always preaches by doing as agreed. It is no conspiracy theory that the powers that be are all concerned about their own interest and enrichment, and never about the Swazi populace. It is now obvious that +8000 Swazis are jobless. this number excludes the people whose means of survival and jobs depend on the textile industry. For insance what will become of the street venors sell in Matsapha, Nhlangano and Siteki textile firms, and by extension their families.
In a country where where one worker feeds a family of eight people this means almost ninety thousand people will go hungry. This is happening when we already have 7 of 10 people living below human standard.
Swaziland' unemplyment stands at above 40% and IRALE wonders what will be the situation henceforth. This is one worst form of brutality. We are also aware of the fact that most of the people to be affected are women, and youth, and we just wonder what kind of leaders these?
We wish to confirm that IRALE is in full support of the struggles currently waged by ATUSWA and the federation TUCOSWA of compelling the government to respect human rights in general and workers' in particular.
We also wish to mention that as far as we are concerned, this is a systematic way of impoverishing Swazis and ultimately killing them, and we condemn such. We know that a poor society is a sick society, however we wish to challenge Swazis never to be submissive just because they are hungry and poor. The call is to change Swaziland. let us join hands and make Swaziland a better place to live in, and surely it cannot be under the same tinkhundla system.

IRALE wishes to condemn the abuse of law currently palying itself in the country. As an organization that subscribes to fundamental human rights, freedom of speech is is not a previlege but a basic right.it is our belief that Thulani Maseko and Bhekie Makhubu are persecuted for telling truth, and nothing else. Our take is that the problem is not Makhulu Baas per se but the system of a government that harbours and breeds dictators in all levels from top to the lowest of "structures" We wish to reitarate in a country with sound leadership, the CJ would be guaranteed of reprimand.
We wish to commend the spirit of the two new political prisoners, we wish to assure them that indeed their struggle is a noble struggle, and fully supported by many.
We also wish to state that as far as we concerned, the time has come for Swaziland to democratize, we are convinced that the people of Swaziland haave come of age, and that change is within grasp. We challenge all democratic formations to take up the challenge and glavarnize all forces and challenge the status quo.

IRALE was mandated by TUCOSWA with documenting the History of the Trade Union Movement since 1960, indeed the organization collected and compiled the history into a handy booklet and the booklet was launched on the 01st march 2014 in Manzini. We encourage comrades and all Swazis to approach the TUCOSWA office for copies. This is an opportunity to get the true Swazi history as the book does locate the industrial issues in a political context. The booklet as a product of investigation, presents factual history.
IRALE reiterate that ours was not to make history, but to collect it. And we presented it as told.
We believe that most solutions to the current situation could be found in the history.
We however wish to make it clear that this work in progress, inputs and comments after reading the document are highly welcome. More versions of the document are yet to be produced and the inputs are important.
"United We bargain, divided we beg"
Viva TUCOSWA!, Viva IRALE

IRALE mourns the passing on of one of its founding members Cde Banele Dlamini, who passed on after a short illness. Comrade Banele together with some other comrades saw the need for a conscious and deliberate effort for research and education specifically on labou. He and other few comrades transcended beyons challenges of the time and provided leadership by joining hands and established the Interantional Research Academy for Labour and Education. He served in the Board from 2009 till his demise. As IRALE we wish to commend his spirit of commitment and selflessness to the course of liberation of the working class in general and Swaziland in particular.
We hereby challenge workers to take over the batton from where comrade Banele left off. May his aspirations and revolutionary spirit and vision of a free and just society live on.
May his soul rest in eternal peace.

IRALE congradulates all the workers who today under the auspices of the only workers' federation in Swaziland, TUCOSWA, commenorated the World AIDS day at the S&B Restaurant Matsapha. Through their sole legitimate collective voice; workers today flooded the S&B conference and declared war against HIV/AIDS.
We wish to commend workers for their resilience and commitment to unity. Despite the "man-made" challenges that the organization has been facing; the derecognition and the celebrations manifested by opportunism from within. Prophets of doom had already wrote TUCOSWA off! and further prepared an orbituary, but the workers and owners of the organization today proved to all that their organization lives for as long they live and that they themselves formed TUCOSWA.
TUCOSWA LIVES!!
run barnabas run, run tinkundla system run.
"One Country, One Federation"