Swazi nurses strike again
2004-03-04 11:08
Mbabane - Swaziland's nurses remained on strike for a second day on Thursday amid a last-ditch effort by the government to have the protest for wage arrears dating back to 2001 declared illegal.
The government of the tiny southern African kingdom late on Wednesday approached the industrial court to have the protest declared illegal but this proved futile as the judge, Nderi Nduma, did not show up for the hearing since the state has not renewed his contract.
An official from the judicial service commission told royal-owned Swazi Observer newspaper that they could not renew Nduma's contract until they were told to do so by King Mswati III, Africa's last absolute monarch.
The nurses suspended an initial four-day-old strike last Friday after the government paid some arrears, but held a mass meeting on Tuesday to debate further action as many of those owed money had not been paid.
They resumed the strike on Wednesday.
Crippling strike
Last week's crippling protest claimed the lives of at least seven patients, according to strike organiser, the Swaziland Nurses Association (SNA). Unconfirmed reports put the toll as high as 17.
SNA president Masitsela Mhlanga said on Thursday that the government had now approached the Conciliation and Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC) to mediate.
"In the light that government had nowhere to go, they have since approached CMAC with a view of asking for their intervention but one interesting thing is that the Industrial Relations Act of 2000 does not have the right to declare the strike illegal," Mhlanga told reporters.
CMAC executive director Siphephiso Dlamini told the Times of Swaziland that the two sides would meet on Thursday.
"We (will) try to ensure that parties arrive at an agreement that is reasonable and conforms to the law or the recognition agreement between the parties.
"But I must state that be it a legal or illegal strike, CMAC cannot issue an order barring any party from going ahead with the strike. We only facilitate the formulation of an agreement at ending the strike action," Dlamini told the Times.
The SNA says that out of the estimated 900 nurses due to have been paid their arrears, 144 were still to receive their dues.
Shocked and disappointed
John Kunene, principal secretary in the health ministry, had said the government was "shocked and disappointed" that the nurses had resumed the strike despite being informed during talks on Monday that the state had erred in some calculations which would be set right.
"We acknowledged using the wrong formula for those who were paid and we are determined to correct it. We agreed that these (people) would be paid before the end of March and everyone was happy," Kunene said.