SMAWU CHALLENGES PREMIER ESWATINI RETRENCHMENTS

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.

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