Manzini in crisis
MANZINI – A court order failed to stop public transport operators from embarking on their intended strike action yesterday, resulting in commuters being grounded around Manzini.
Police fired tear gas to disperse rowdy conductors and drivers at the Manzini Bus Rank as the first day of the strike turned chaotic.
The conductors and drivers were implementing a resolution that was taken in a meeting organised by the Swaziland Transport and Allied Workers Union (STAWU) at the SNAT Centre between noon and 1.30pm yesterday.
The resolution was taken after only Satellite Bus Rank workers took part in the strike while the main rank was fully operational during the morning hours.
The meeting then resolved that the main rank should also be grounded so that all public transport workers could support the strike.
Chaos erupted at about 3pm when a stone purportedly thrown by one of the striking workers landed on top of a shelter in the middle of the rank, causing panic. The stone was thrown regardless of the presence of police officers and security guards, who were expected to suppress any lawlessness.
Armed then police fired a tear gas canister that landed in the middle of the kombis section, causing an immediate rush as everyone fled for shelter, including the police.
Buses and kombis quickly made haste and sped out of the rank through both the exit and entry points while commuters and vendors ran helter-skelter.
The police riot squad known as Sagila arrived later and marched through the rank armed with rubber bullet guns, tear gas launchers and revolvers.
They only managed to maintain the standoff that had already been created by the tear gas canisters that were fired into the crowd.
Some kombis sought refuge at a private property near the Central Filling Station while buses also went in different directions, some going as far as the Nazarene traffic lights.
The chaos subsided at about 4.30pm when some kombis returned to the main rank and continued with business as usual.
However, buses had not returned at that time.
... operators say they make losses everyday
MANZINI - Bus conductors operating at the Satellite Bus Rank say they are making losses every day.
Sikhumbuzo Simelane said he had not had a salary for the past two months.
"I don’t even ask for the salary from the bus owner because I know I have had nothing to cash up."
He showed the Times reporters papers showing that he had cashed E1 700 in two days, yet the bus he worked for had to pay instalments of E40 000 per month. He said at the main rank he used to cash more than E1 800 everyday.
Sihle Dlamini of Lokuhle also said he used to cash up E3 000 at the main rank but was cashing up almost nothing at the Satellite rank as the E2 000 he made was for fuel.
Mphandlana magic stirs operators
MANZINI – Political activist Mphandlana Shongwe arrived at the Satellite Bus Rank and caused a stir as conductors and drivers who were on strike crowded him.
Shongwe said he was there only to monitor the situation because he is a concerned commuter and was getting affected by the strike.
He was in the company of a few friends.
"The point at which to start resolving this impasse is to return all operators to the Main Bus Rank.
"We are not expecting the powers that be to keep referring to a Court Order because there are still Court Orders against government that have not been implemented. All public transport must go back to the bus rank while dialogue is opened for a lasting solution," he said.
Shongwe said he was pleased with some efforts that had been made by Regional Administrator Prince Masitsela to try and resolve the impasse.
After Shongwe had said this, the operators seemed to get agitated and started chanting slogans.
He also accompanied them to the SNAT Centre where, during a meeting he started songs sung during the struggle ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrica’ which is a national anthem in South Africa.
STAWU executive held for questioning
MANZINI – Executive members of the Swaziland Transport and Allied Workers Union were taken in for questioning at the Regional Police Headquarters three times yesterday.
In the morning hours the police first took Legal Advisor Basil Thwala and Chief Negotiator Petros Ndzabandzaba to the RHQ after they were found addressing striking conductors and drivers.
They were bundled into a van under the guard of armed police officers.
However, when they were released a few hours later, they met two other executive members, Secretary General Simanga Shongwe and another member Wandile Nkambule who is National Organiser being taken in to be questioned on the strike action.
Shongwe and Nkambule were later released to join the workers at the SNAT Centre where there was a meeting.
After the meeting, Thwala alleged that police also took them to a meeting again at the RHQ where they were further questioned on the resolutions taken by the conductors. He said the afternoon meeting was more friendly.
"They seemed concerned with logistics of the strike today. The recent meeting was not like the morning meetings where we were just told to sit in a room and we were not allowed to go to the toilet," Thwala alleged.
Govt suggests social dialogue
MANZINI – Government has invited STAWU to table its concerns before the National Committee on Social Dialogue which is Chaired by Labour and Social Security Minister, Lutfo Dlamini.
The Swaziland Transport and Allied Workers Union (STAWU) is representing bus drivers and conductors in the on-going public transport strike.
A statement issued by Government Spokesman, Percy Simelane, states that the Social Dialogue was a relevant forum to resolve the impasse.
Government further reiterates that the strike action organised by STAWU was illegal as ruled by the Industrial Court on Monday.
He said the Court Order does not only restrain and interdict STAWU from embarking on or going on with the strike, but also calls upon government to engage stakeholders involved in the impasse, with a view to finding a lasting solution.
"Today (yesterday), Cabinet decided that the issues raised by STAWU, should be tabled before the National Committee on Social Dialogue in Swaziland. This is a tripartite structure, with membership drawn from the employers, workers and government. The Social Dialogue Committee is established through a Legal Notice (No. 83 of 2010); and its primary objective is to lead and manage social dialogue in Swaziland.
"Government views this as an important and relevant forum to engage the stakeholders on this matter. The Legal Notice setting up the Social Dialogue allows for the establishment of sub-committees and the co-option of any person, minister or a relevant institution with specialist knowledge and skills or competencies on any subject or issue under discussion.
"Government calls upon all stakeholders involved in this matter to take note of the Court Order and the Cabinet decision. The Minister for Labour and Social Security, as the Chairman of the National Steering Committee on Social Dialogue in Swaziland has already called the committee members to an urgent meeting," the statement reads.
Workers resolve to demand salaries from council
MANZINI – Public transport workers have resolved to march to the Municipal Council of Manzini to demand salaries for the month in which they were forced to work from the Satellite Bus Rank.
The resolution was taken at the SNAT Centre where the workers had convened a meeting under the Swaziland Transport and Allied Workers Union (STAWU) banner.
Chief Negotiator of STAWU, Petros Ndzabandzaba, said the Council was responsible for all the business losses made by the transport workers because they issued the directive removing operators from the main rank to the Satellite Bus Rank.
"At an appointed date, we will all march to the Manzini Council to demand salaries. If we do not get our money we will then embark on a hunger strike," he said. Ndzabandzaba said the strike action that resumed yesterday was not interdicted by any court.
"We are here to inform you never to engage in any illegal strike as per the directive of the court.
"However, the strike action that began today is not illegal because you voted for it. The court order only pertains to the leave that you were taking on Fridays and Mondays. The court interpreted that as a strike action, and stopped you from embarking on it."
Comments
I think a solution is to take the buses back to the main bus rank then call a meet to discuss what the oparetors need while all buses are at the main bus rank
May 30, 2012, 3:51 AM, wela (wexson@gmail.com)
I mentioned this on Monday and I will re-iterate it, 'They will strike, regardless of court orders!' This issue is simple, accomodate all public transport at the main bus rank while finding a lasting solution to this issue. It's real and it's the consumers and operators who suffer losses. If we had a govt of the people, by the people, these people would be listened to but Lutfo and his allies are only listening to the municipal council and the consequences will be dire! Mark my words...
May 30, 2012, 3:51 AM, Anthoniser the Lord (Anthonym198@gmail.com)
It's time we went to the traditional parliament, sibaya. Who banned Sibaya by the way?
May 30, 2012, 3:51 AM, Sibaya
This move to the satellite bus rank has failed two or three times before this one. What is happening really with all the parties involved. How did the consultations with the bus operators go when two years in to it, there is still no agreement. where did it go wrong and why? what i have concluded is that the bus operators are not crazy...there is something wrong with the move...deadly wrong What is it?????
May 30, 2012, 8:28 AM, MND
So it had to take the courts to tell government to engage stakeholders in a dialogue and now they suddenly remember there is LN 83/2010! Talking of dereliction of duty. This is what we have been calling for all along, DIALOGUE and engagement of stakeholders by government. And Lutfho because he has seen his court rulings could not deter STAWU has remembered to chair a dialogue session? Again common sense would say, he should be because already he is now a foe or adversary of STAWU, and such his conduct of the dialogue would be suspect. What makes him think STAWU will honour this part of the court rulings (dialogue) if they could continue with a strike ruled illegal by the same court? But now, its too late, he would be lucky to have attendance there, because you cant take people to court and when that fails then you want to talk again. As for court orders, they will continue to be ignored, because the rule of law broke down a long time ago in this country. Shameful isn't it? Now we have some operators saying they are now cashing close to 50% of what they used to in the main bus rank, and that I dont understand bacause surely the number of commutters using east-bound routes should not be affected by whether they are picked-up from satellite, main bus rank or Motsa's plot, should they? It is either there is something that we dont know about this business or the operators themselves dont know what they are on about. Somebody educate us here.
May 30, 2012, 10:15 AM, Burns Dlamini (Lobhoncela) (Burnspolitics@gmail.com)
This is just the tip of an iceberg, more is still coming, these are signs of the upcoming revolution. Enough is enough, our government is defiant, they only care about themselves while we suffering on their account. what a sick government we have in this country.
May 30, 2012, 1:31 PM, lanconco (basil@gmail.com)
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