Swaziland week of action: TUC support

Solidarity with Swazi trade unions

Global Week of Action

2-6 September 2013

TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady has joined the Global Week of Action on Swaziland with a letter to the Swazi High Commissioner in London being hand delivered by a delegation of Swazi refugees, Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) and Unison. The letter coincides with action in Swaziland and around the world.

On Monday, TUC International Officer Bandula Kothalawala blogged about the dire situation facing the people of Swaziland while the King and his cronies celebrate independence day this Friday. As trade unionists have discovered in so many countries, independence does not mean freedom.

The text of Frances O'Grady's letter is as follows:

Dear High Commissioner

Violations of workers' rights Swaziland

On behalf of the TUC General Council and the 6 million trade unionists in the UK, I write to express our growing concern over the persistent violations of workers' rights in Swaziland.

Violations of the fundamental rights of workers have continued over the years despite the ratification by the Government of Swaziland of Convention 98 and Convention 87 which oblige it to observe workers' rights to organise and bargain collectively. The ILO Committee on the Application of Standards has also pointed to serious breaches of ILO conventions relating to fundamental rights at work in recent years.

There has been a spate of incidents - arrests, intimidation and harassment of trade union leaders and disruption of activities - which amply demonstrate the authorities' disregard for the respect for workers' rights. In addition, Swaziland's national trade union centre, the ITUC-affiliated Trades Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), remains banned following its deregistration on the basis of spurious legal arguments.

The TUC supports the Global Week of Action on Swaziland in concert with ACTSA on the occasion of Swaziland Independence Day on 6 September. I urge you to use your influence with your Government to ensure that TUCOSWA is allowed to register and fulfil its functions in protecting and promoting the rights of Swazi workers without further delay and without interference from the state

Yours sincerely

FRANCES O'GRADY

General Secretary