UNISON has condemned the arrest of a trade union leader in Swaziland and the beating of 25 of his colleagues as a “flagrant attack on the rights of workers”.
Quinton Dlamini, president of the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (Napsawu) was seized yesterday, as his union was supporting industrial action by Swazi teachers.
He was later released without charge.
Mr Dlamini spoke to UNISON’s national delegate conference last year, telling delegates of the repression of trade union activists the absolute monarchy, where political parties are banned and trade unions forbidden to discuss public policy.
Mr Dlamini has been beaten and jailed before, while taking part in peaceful demonstrations calling for democratic reform.
Yesterday he was arrested while attending a rally in support of strike action by the Swaziland National Association of Teachers. The day before, 25 Napsawu members were attacked by police at a peaceful protest, also in support of the teachers.
“This is a flagrant attack on the right of workers to organise and take industrial action in defence of their rights,” said UNISON international officer Polly Jones.
“UNISON has pledged to support NAPSAWU to challenge the impunity which now exists in Swaziland, as the regime tries to wipe out any vestige of trade union activity.”
Ms Jones noted that the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union has also been supporting the teachers in their demands for a pay rise, as well as “huge” numbers of the public.
“There has certainly been an escalation recently in the degree to which civil society is standing up against the state,” she said. “For the government it’s not just about trade union activity, but the fact that all kinds of people are daring to criticize it.
“Unfortunately it is responding in the only way it knows.”
King Mswati III has presided over the complete economic collapse of his country, which doesn’t have enough money for wages, health care or fuel, and where unemployment is around 45%.
Swaziland also has one of the world’s highest rates of HIV/AIDS, with the pandemic currently affecting 10% of the population.