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How to help Swaziland's trade unionists

Issue date
TUC Aid appeal 2008

Solidarity with trade unionists abroad

Swaziland - IRALE

International Research Academy for Labour and Education (IRALE)

The small land-locked southern African country of Swaziland, with a workforce of less than 350,000, has not been one of those countries which the international trade union movement has in the past been heavily involved in. However, Swaziland has the infamous distinction of being the country where Africa's longest state of emergency is still in force, preventing trade unions from operating freely, and frustrating calls for meaningful democratic reforms. Swaziland essentially remains a feudal monarchy, with high levels of poverty, HIV-AIDS and unemployment.

Last July, the TUC showed solidarity with the two Swazi trade union federations who organised a national general strike in support of controls against companies who violate basic workers' rights, greater consultation over privatisation, and for the 2008 election to take place under a multi-party system. Congress backed that solidarity up with a reference in the resolution on Zimbabwe.

The IRALE project will develop the capacity of unions belonging to both the Swaziland Federation of Labour and the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (the ITUC-affiliated confederations which run IRALE). It will be a labour academy modelled on the extremely successful DITSELA academy in South Africa, and will provide the grass-roots springboard for the Swazi trade union movement to grow.

IRALE needs set-up costs and funds to support education and training of officers and lay members of unions of both federations on a range of issues, including: gender and HIV/AIDS in the workplace, the development of research skills to enhance unions' capacity to collect and analyse information (for example on how international trade impacts on the Swazi economy), and to plan appropriate responses.

Details of how you can help are at http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/index.cfm?mins=265

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