MANZINI – Frustration is mounting among workers as delays in the implementation of a 3.05 per cent cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA) continue to drag on, with union leaders now demanding urgent answers from both management and government.
This emerged during the Swaziland Communication and allied Workers Union (SCWU) Annual General Meeting (AGM) held yesterday, where a detailed general council report was presented by Musawenkosi Mnisi, the General Secretary. Members of the union include employees from Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC).
The AGM was held at St Theresa’s Hall in Manzini. Mnisi told delegates that the prolonged delay in concluding the CoLA matter had severely affected employees, with little progress made despite ongoing engagements with management and the ministry responsible. “We have been hit hard by the delays we are faced with at the ministry regarding the outstanding 3.05 per cent CoLA,” she said.
According to the report, attempts to secure a meeting with the ministry have been slow, with a long-pending appointment expected to provide direction on how the matter can be resolved. In the absence of clear answers, some union branches have proposed picketing to intensify pressure.
Mnisi said while discussions were ongoing, management had remained firm in its position, offering a zero per cent increase despite the union’s demands. “Management is adamant that their offer stands at zero per cent. We have requested that they provide financial statements and budget details to allow for further deliberations,” she said.
She added that although some opportunities were identified during financial presentations, the matter had since been escalated to the ministry for intervention. An agreement had, however, been reached to resume negotiations, with a tentative date set for April 9, 2026.
The CoLA issue has also featured prominently in engagements with various stakeholders, including the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Ministry, where it was listed among key concerns alongside salary reviews, the future of the company and implementation of parliamentary recommendations.
Mnisi revealed that the union had even declared a vote of no confidence in the current executive committee during one of the engagements, highlighting the depth of dissatisfaction among members.
Efforts to engage the ministry have, however, been fraught with challenges. The report noted that scheduled meetings were repeatedly postponed, with officials citing busy schedules, further fuelling frustration among workers.
A crucial meeting involving the principal secretary, under secretary and legal representatives has now been set for March 27, 2026, after several delays. The CoLA matter was also raised during a meeting with the minister on December 12, 2025. While the minister emphasised the need to grow the business, including exploring partnerships in fibre rollout and expanding into e-commerce, she acknowledged that CoLA remained a concern based on the financials presented.
However, responsibility for addressing the issue was deferred to the board chairperson, assisted by the remuneration committee.
Subsequently, the union met with the board chairperson on December 31, 2025, proposing a revised approach that would split the 3.05 per cent CoLA into two phases. Despite submitting a formal proposal to management, copied to both the chairperson and the ministry, Mnisi said the union had not received the attention it expected. “To date, the proposal has not received the attention it deserves, to the detriment of the membership,” she said.
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