International Swaziland Day of Action
Swaziland Public Services
Bill
ACTSA, who Unite works closely with, is organising an action day
together with Swazi trade unions, Public Services International and
UK unions to support trade unionist in Swaziland and defend their
rights to not only organise but to exist.
The people of Swaziland are no strangers to
repressive legislation. In a country with what is considered to be
one of the longest running states of emergency in the world the
Government regularly impose vague and restrictive legislation to
crush political dissent. The latest damaging proposal to be pushed
by the Government is the Public Services Bill.
The Bill would make it ‘an offence for a
public officer to hold an office in or be visibly associated with a
political formation or organisation’. There is no definition of a
‘political formation or organisation’ within the Bill or elsewhere
in Swazi law.
Its provisions are vague and open to abuse.
Harassment, arrests and threats of unemployment or demotion are
regular occurrences for trade unionists and pro-democracy activists
in Swaziland.
Political parties are banned in Swaziland but
trade unions are not. The clear intent of the Public Services Bill
is to prevent public workers from being active in trade unions and
organisations the Government consider to be political.
The Bill would contravene a number of
international conventions which the Kingdom of Swaziland have
signed including International Labour Organisation (ILO) ones.
Take action: write to the
Swaziland High Commission to call for the Swazi Government to drop
this repressive bill. Please link to http://www.actsa.org/page-1223-Swaziland.html
for an online petition and more information about Swaziland.
