ICT ministry hits back at SPTC union

MBABANE – The Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) says it could not accept the petition by SPTC employees because the union leadership and its members acted in bad faith.

The ministry referred to the employees statements in their quest to have the Minister’s intervention in the matter as a ‘misleading public statement’. The employees in the very petition letter titled “Request for the minister’s intervention” accused the minister concerned of dragging her feet in addressing their concerns.

Principal Secretary in the ICT ministry Nathaniel Mahluza has since taken exception to the Union statement and accuses its leadership and their members of having acted in bad faith in the whole negotiation process.
“In February, 2009 the union leadership came to present staff grievances to the minister, who subsequently arranged a meeting with the chairman of the board, managing director and the union leadership of SPTC, with a view to addressing employees grievances,” explained the PS.

Mahluza says the Minister specifically requested the chairman to facilitate a meeting between management and the union leadership to discuss the said grievances amicably and present a joint report to her.
“She further requested the union leadership and their members not to embark on mass action,” said Mahluza.  
Mahluza says the minister was unpleasantly surprised to learn from the press that the employees had resolved to stage a protest and that she was also cited as the main source of grievances, when in fact she was still awaiting the outcome of their deliberations.

“On the date of the protest (May 6, 2009), the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of ICT met with the union leadership and pointed out that the union leadership and their members had acted in bad faith by going ahead and embarking on mass action despite the fact that the minister had not received the joint report as requested at a meeting in February, 2009,” he explains further.

The PS said it was on the basis of the reported outcome of the negotiations with management that the minister was going to decide on the next course of action. “Having failed to appraise the minister of developments, it was improper of them to deliver a petition, as they had failed to adhere to the original agreement as alluded.
“It was then agreed that the petition could not be accepted in the absence of the joint report,” concluded Mahluza. 

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