Textile workers in
Swaziland are campaigning for a basic minimum wage and for many of them that
would mean doubling their income.
Amalgamated Trade Union of
Swaziland (ATUSWA) members want a wage of at least E3,000 (about US$250) per
month. At present, it is
reported most textile workers earn between E1,300 and E1,500 per month.
They are supported by the
Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA).
Textile workers are among the most exploited in
Swaziland, where King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute
monarch. In 2015, Swaziland was named as one of the ten worst countries for
working people in the world, in a report
from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
In July 2014 a survey of
the Swaziland textile industry undertaken by TUCOSWA revealed workers were
subjected to harsh and sometimes abusive conditions, many of the kingdom’s
labour laws were routinely violated by employers, and union activists were
targeted by employers for punishment. More than 90 percent of
workers surveyed reported being punished by management for making errors, not
meeting quotas or missing shifts. More than 70 percent of survey respondents
reported witnessing verbal and physical abuse in their workplace by
supervisors.
In its report on human rights in Swaziland in 2013, the US State Department said wage arrears,
particularly in the garment industry, were a problem. It said, ‘workers
complained that wages were low and that procedures for getting sick leave
approved were cumbersome in some factories. The minimum monthly wage for a
skilled employee in the industry - including sewing machinists and quality
checkers - was E1,128 (US$113 at the time). Minimum wage laws did not apply to
the informal sector, where many workers were employed.
‘The garment sector also
has a standard 48-hour workweek, but workers alleged that working overtime was
compulsory because they had to meet unattainable daily and monthly production
quotas.’
In September 2014 hundreds of workers at Tex Ray were affected by poisonous chemical
fumes at the factory in Matsapha. Many needed hospital treatment and the
factory was closed for several days.
See also
EXPLOITATION BY TAIWAN TEXTILES
MINISTER RAIDS TEXTILE FACTORY
SWAZI TEXTILE PAY STRIKE ILLEGAL
SWAZI GOVT AIDS TAIWAN EXPLOITATION
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