As a migrant mine worker from Swaziland, Mduduzi Thabethe says he has fewer workplace rights than his South African co-workers. Although all mine workers pay the same amount into the health fund, migrant workers get inferior care and pensions are rare. “If you are a...
The Solidarity Center in eSwatini is building labor solidarity in Africa and at the international level to help the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) exercise its right to form unions and protect its leadership from government attacks. The Solidarity Center has also worked with transportation unions, successfully increasing their organizing and bargaining capacity, and helped TUCOSWA conduct research on working conditions in Swaziland’s textile industry.
Unions and opposition parties pressing for a transition to greater parliamentary democracy have been severely repressed, with grassroots leaders beaten and imprisoned and groups banned from participating in civil society. TUCOSWA has consistently been targeted by the government.
The Solidarity Center is working with trade union federations in Africa and at the international level to build solidarity and urge the government to protect freedom of association, register TUCOSWA and cease attacks on TUCOSWA’s leadership.
African Unions Champion Worker Rights at AGOA Forum
Meeting in Togo for the annual African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) forum this month, nearly 20 leaders from key African trade unions joined forces to advance the creation of good jobs and safe workplaces through fair trade. The forum “is a venue for workers to...
‘Fair Migration’ Conference to Address Worker Exploitation
Edias was 12 years old when he traveled from Zimbabwe to South Africa to look for a job in agriculture. Now in his mid-twenties, he and other farm workers had been working 12 hour days, 7 days a week, and paid less than half the legal minimum wage when they asked the...