Workers free to protest - minister

MINISTER of Labour and Social Security Magobetane Mamba says labour organisations are allowed to protest.
He said he was taken aback when representatives of labour federations told the Geneva Labour Convention that human rights were undermined in Swaziland, to the extent of refusing workers a right to protest.
Mamba said it was wrong for the federations to paint a gloomy picture of Swaziland.
“The labour unions also said government does not want to engage them in dialogue, especially when there is something they want to voice out.”
The minister said he had tried to allay fears at the meeting where he corrected the wrong impression that had been created.
“We made the committee on industrial matters aware that Swaziland allows industrial protest action to take place, but only if workers abide by the law.
“We told the committee that labour organisation chiefs had never been arrested for labour related issues, but had been taken in for questioning for political statements they had made.”
Mamba said most of the allegations by the labour organisations lacked evidence and were exaggerated.
“All who were present agreed on dialogue as a solution to disputes. I think this was a major breakthrough since we had not been agreeing on this issue,” he said.

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