UPDATE - Dismissed SNAT officials reinstated
The contempt case brought by government against the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) was a non-starter on 20 August. Government brought contempt proceedings against teachers for defying a court order of June 20, 2012, stopping them from participating in unlawful strike action. Teachers were demanding a 4.5 % cost of living salary adjustment. The case was postponed to 23 August for recall. About 20 teachers including SNAT executive members had attended the court case on 20 August. The teachers, who were dismissed for participating in the strike action, have since been reinstated following a directive by King Mswati III. Teachers have also called off the strike action.
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The strikers have been met by dismissals, riot police and armed forces’ intimidation and beatings, tear gas and rubber bullets. On 12 July, peacefully protesting public sector trade union members were fired upon by police – resulting in hospitalisation and injuries of at least 12 persons, some who were members of the Swaziland National Association of Civil Servants (SNACS) and the Swaziland Nurses Association (SNA).
Since 1 August, the government has also fired hundreds of teachers across the country, including the entire executive of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT). On 3 August, the Industrial Court of Swaziland found that those dismissals were unlawful and requested the government to withdraw the letters of dismissal issued to the teachers.
The ITF has also expressed strong concerns at the arrest and detention of Bazel Tfwala, legal officer of the Swaziland Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (STAWU). Simanga Shongwe, General Secretary of STAWU was also detained whilst protesting Tfwala's arrest.
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EI, ITF and PSI have launched an online campaign in partnership with LabourStart to condemn the governmental crackdown on striking teachers and public workers in Swaziland. We invite you and your members to take action now by sending a message to Mswati III, King of Swaziland, urging him to meet the legitimate demands of public servants; and to ensure the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of dismissed public service workers and teachers.
Send your protest messages to the government of Swaziland now through the LabourStart website :
http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=1519&src=ei
Please give high visibility to the campaign by recommending it to your colleagues, to networks, to union members and friends. Post it on your website, blog, Facebook and Twitter.
