Times Of Swaziland: SMAWU CHALLENGES PREMIER ESWATINI RETRENCHMENTS

SMAWU CHALLENGES PREMIER ESWATINI RETRENCHMENTS
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Mbongiseni Ndzimandze and Vuyile Dlamini on 21/01/2021 09:48:00


MBABANE – Premier Eswatini is reportedly retrenching some of its employees.
The affected employees have since been served with letters informing them that
their relationship with the company would come to an end on February 21, 2021.
Through the Swaziland Manufacturing and Allied Workers Union (SMAWU), the
affected workers have filed an urgent application in the Industrial Court. They
are seeking an order setting aside the notices of retrenchment issued by the
company. The exact number of employees who will be affected has not been
disclosed in the papers filed in court, but it is alleged there are about 16 of
them.
Meeting
In the retrenchment notices, the company’s Human Resources Manager, Bridgette
Magongo, alleged that they held a consultative meeting with the union
representing the workers and shop stewards wherein it was relayed that Premier
Eswatini was embarking on a process to rationalise its business process and
operation structure. “In the same meeting, it was put to the parties that at
this stage, in line with The Code of Good Practice Section 13 under Section 109
of the Industrial Relations Act as amended; reason behind Premier having to
engage in this process is a combination of the need for the organisation to
review its structure and industry conditions within which we have to operate in
order to remain competitive and relevant,” reads part of one of the
retrenchment notice.
The human resources manager further claimed that it was agreed in terms of the
Recognition Agreement that should a retrenchment be necessary, same had to
follow a recognised retrenchment criteria namely LIFO ( Last in, First Out) as
well the requirements as per the re-engineering process in  a transparent and
objective manner. In one of the letters the human resources manager stated:
“It is with regret that you are one of those who will be affected by the
imminent retrenchment. In light of the aforesaid, we hereby communicate our
formal notice effective January 15, 2021 and the effective day for cessation of
your employment will be February 15, 2021.” Magongo went on to inform each of
the affected employees that upon termination of their services, they would be
paid the following monies as their retrenchment package;  notice pay, additional
notice pay, severance allowance and outstanding leave pay where applicable.