SALARIES DELAYED, UNESWA EMPLOYEES VOW TO DOWN TOOLS

MANZINI - Employees of the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) have vowed to down tools if they do not get remunerated on time.

Following a memorandum notifying the UNESWA employees of a delay in the release of their salaries, members of Association of Lecturers, Academic and Administrative Personnel (ALAAP) have vowed not to execute their duties.  The memo was released by UNESWA Registrar Dr Salebona Simelane yesterday, informing employees that there would be a delay in the payment of salaries this month. Dr Simelane attributed the delay to insufficient financial resources.

Assured

However, he assured that every effort would be made to ensure that the salaries were paid by next Friday August 26, 2022. He regretted the inconvenience caused.Worth noting is that the employees disclosed that they normally received their remuneration on the 19th of every month.
On the other hand, ALAAP did not accept the memo. Through its General Secretary, Dr Mduduzi Shongwe, the association noted with disappointment the contents, having said it was unacceptable to the hardworking members of the association. Shongwe stated that it was deplorable that such communication was made on the eve of payday, which caught members off-guard. “This will cause serious prejudice and repercussions to members, both financially and psychologically,” he said.

The general secretary further highlighted that not only was management’s conduct unlawful and inhumane, but also violated the terms and conditions of service.“For this reason, should ALAAP members not get their well deserved remuneration on time, it will be regrettably impossible for them to execute their duties,” Dr Shongwe said.  This is not the first time employees of the tertiary institution are notified of delays in the release of their salaries. In May this year, workers of UNESWA and Southern Africa Nazarene University (SANU) were flabbergasted when they were informed about the same issue. The staff was informed that there would be delays in the payment of their salaries for the month of May.    

Worried

This was not received well by the National Workers Union of Swaziland Higher Institutions (NAWUSHI) Secretary General (SG), Stanley Simelane, who said they were worried about the delayed salaries, which was becoming a phenomenon.“We are very worried about this trend of delayed salaries yet they are statutory in nature. Also, paydays are clearly laid out in our contracts,” Simelane said. Simultaneously, he added that they had agreements on days with banks and financial institutions on payment commitments. If there were delays in payment, Simelane said this attracted penalties on their accounts, which were costs that they had to incur. He noted that this was becoming a trend. The SG advised management in the various institutions to respect the agreements that they had with their employees. Simelane encouraged them to communicate on time, not on the day of receiving their salaries. He said this would better prepare them.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: