Public workers in Swaziland launched a strike on 21 June. They were demanding a pay rise of 4.5 per cent, well below the rate of inflation in Swaziland and a mere fraction of the 30 per cent pay rise that Swaziland’s parliamentarians have awarded themselves. The strikers were met by dismissals, riot police and armed forces’ intimidation and beatings, tear gas and rubber bullets. Peacefully protesting public sector trade union members were fired upon by police – resulting in hospitalisation and injuries. The government also fired hundreds of teachers across the country, including the entire executive of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), before the Industrial Court of Swaziland found that those dismissals were unlawful.
EI, ITF and PSI launched an joint online campaign in partnership with LabourStart to condemn this governmental crackdown on Swazi teachers. The teachers, who were dismissed for participating in the strike action, have since been reinstated following a directive by King Mswati III.