MANZINI – The University of Eswatini (UNESWA) workers will smile all the way to the bank in December as they will get bumper pay of 3.05 per cent CoLA and back pay.
The workers, who went on strike from Friday, November 21, 2025, continuing through Monday and yesterday, concluded it later on yesterday afternoon when union leaders informed them that a collective agreement had been signed with the institution.
The agreement stipulates that workers will receive a 3.05 per cent cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA), to be paid by December 19, 2025, backdated to April 1, 2025.
According to Sibusiso Mfunwa Dlamini, Secretary General of the Association of Lecturers, Academic and Administrative Personnel (ALAAP), their frustration had been simmering since April this year. He said after six months of unfruitful engagements, they reached a deadlock. He stated that they were demanding CoLA of 3.05 per cent, in line with the country’s inflation rate. However, he said the university had proposed a counteroffer of a one-off payment, citing financial constraints.
Dlamini explained that they rejected the institution’s counteroffer because a once-off payment would not address their salaries or pension benefits. He added that even the proposed once-off payment was conditional on government matching the fees the university proposed. The administration contends that fees paid for government-sponsored students are no longer sufficient to cover the institution’s daily expenses.
Following this, at the beginning of last week, they balloted for strike action. The administration then agreed to give them 3.05 per cent CoLA, effective on their salary, instead of the once-off payment. However, the secretary general said the administration proposed that the payment, along with back pay, would be made in March 2026.
The workers rejected this proposal and proceeded with a strike action on Friday, November 21, 2025. While the strike was ongoing on Monday, management met with the workers’ representatives. The latter proposed that they should be paid their CoLA and at least 50 per cent of their back pay in December 2025. However, Dlamini said management stated it could only shift the proposed payment date from March 2026 to February 2026, which the workers rejected.
Again, the secretary general said they continued with the strike action yesterday, and management invited them to the negotiating table once more. This time, he said management agreed to pay them the 3.05 per cent CoLA and back pay (to April 1, 2025) by December 19, 2025. After this, he said they called off the strike action.
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