Strike action has been planned by employees of the Swaziland National Trust Commission if a demand for a 3.8% pay rise is not met.
Workers are threatening to down tools today.
The workers, represented by the Union of Swaziland Conservation Workers, have warned management of a strike if talks on wednesday and thursday failed. The pay rise was recommended by a government watchdog, however management have said there is not enough money to honour the recommendation.
The workers have demanded access to the department's accounts, to verify their claims that they cannot afford a pay increase. Access to the accounts is supposed to be guaranteed to workers as negotioated in an earlier agreement. However, the union chairman Stanley Dlamini has said that "management refused to allow us access to the financial records, hence the workers said they were left with no alternative but to engage in a strike action."
Should the strike go ahead, it is likely to be viewed as illegal by management, although the union maintains the legitimacy of the strike. The CEO of the National Trust Commission has said that he "cannot stop workers from participating in a strike action, as long as they comply with the law."
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