News

A delegation comprising officials from UNI and UNI-Africa, the South African commerce union (SACCAWU), LO-TCO representative Monica Ohlson and Simiao Simbine of SASK Africa visited Swaziland on 26 February and held discussions with UNI affiliates and the representative of Shoprite Checkers in that country.

The delegation visited the offices of the commerce union SCAWU and the finance union, SUFIAW. The general secretaries of these unions informed the delegation on their current situation and requested UNI to help them with training of union members.

During the meeting with all the affiliates the visiting delegation discussed with the representatives SPTWU and IAUWU.

The delegation also met shop stewards from Shoprite Checkers in Mbabane and Manzini, who are members of SCAWU. There was an exchange of information and SACCAWU presented its successes in the recruitment and organising of Shoprite workers.

SACCAWU offered to assist SCAWU in the process of signing agreements with Shoprite, as it did with this multinational company in South Africa.

And the meeting with the representative of Shoprite Checkers in Swaziland was fruitful.

The UNI delegation learned that although Shoprite operates in Swaziland, management was based in Durban, South Africa. As such it is difficult to make fast decisions, thus making the local representative powerless.

The Shoprite representative was asked to inform higher authorities that UNI was open to discussion and wished to meet the company's management for better working relationship.

However, he denounced the quarrels between the unions existing in the commerce sector which he said disturbed negotiations and prevents the application of signed agreements.