Employer sues Eswatini union for strike damages

Taiwanese-owned FTM Garments is taking the Amalgamated Trade Unions of Swaziland (ATUSWA) to court over an alleged four-day loss of production and damages to property following a picket two years ago.
This legal action comes just one week after the union took the company to court over its refusal to recognise ATUSWA, despite a Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration Commission’s (CMAC’s) ruling in January 2020. This lawsuit is a clear attempt to weaken the union. ATUSWA says that it will challenge the claims, which are meant to bankrupt the union, and that employers are using this strategy to waste union resources through legal fees.
This lawsuit is the latest of union-busting attempts following a number of incidents at the factory. In August 2018, ATUSWA met with its members at the Zheng Yong site in Nhlangano to decide on whether to go ahead with a proposed strike action on living wages after a dispute with the employer. The meeting attracted thousands of workers from other factories. However, workers opted for negotiations through the collective agreement that the union had with Zheng Yong. When the workers went back to work after the meeting, the Zheng Yong management locked the gates, incensing the workers, who then picketed, with workers from FTM garments and other factories joining in the action. The police worsened the tense situation by firing tear gas into workers who had gathered, sparking the demonstrations.
ATUSWA has long fought for a living wage for textile workers. Garment workers are paid E1800 per month (US$108). The union is campaigning for a minimum living wage of E3500 (US$210).