Transcript 29 November 2010 presentation Swaziland

Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union
SANNAM ANNUAL NETWORK
MEETING
02-04 DECEMBER 2010
Outline
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Back ground
Mission
Health Sector reforms
Collective Bargaining
Bilateral Forum
• Overtime collective agreement
• Joint Negotiation Forum
• Political environment
• Lessons learnt
Background
• The Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union is a
professional organization and a trade union
for nurses.
• It was established in 1965 under the nurses
and midwives act and registered in 1994 as a
trade union for nurses .
• Joined ICN in 1975.
• Duly recognized in 1999 as collective
bargaining vehicle for nurses.
Mission
• We exists for the purpose of influencing social
policy, improving socio-economic standards
for nurses, promoting excellence in nursing
practice,management,research and education,
supporting and empowering the nursing
council, networking with similar organizations
locally and internationally.
HEALTH SECTOR REFORM
• Development of Essential health care package.
• Review of nursing scope of practice, education
standards, nursing ethics, and career
progression.
• Successfully negotiated with MOH for
absorption of staff, and addition of 2 nurses
and 1 medical doctor in the Wellness Centre.
• Leading task shifting agenda in Swaziland.
• Successful lobbying for involvement of labour
in CCM.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
• Collective bargaining in the public sector is
organized in twofold.
• Bilateral : between the union and
government/employer.
• JNF: between all duly recognized public sector
unions and government.
Bilateral forum.
• On the 26th November 2010 we have signed
a collective agreement with government on
mode overtime allowance payment for nurses.
• This has been despite the fact that country is
facing an unprecedented economic
challenges.
Bilateral
• We believe that this agreement has solved the
chronic problem of delayed or even non
payment at times leading to industrial
disharmony and patients suffering.
• This agreement will also reduce the burden of
paying legal costs for our members as result
of a strike.
Bilateral
• The resources that were used for legal costs
will be redirected towards worker education
and shop steward training, thus a more visible
and strong organisation.
Collective agreement
• It covers every nurse employed in the public
sector.
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Nursing assistant- 25%
General Nurse- 25%
Professional Nurse- 25%
Nurse in charge – 25%
Matron- 10%
Deputy Chief nursing Officer- 5%
Chief Nursing Officer- 5%
Collective agreement
• This allowance will be enjoyed by every nurse
whether she is exposed or not to overtime,
annual leave, maternity leave and even study
leave less than 12 months.
Joint Negotiation Forum
 Once more we have been members and an
active player in the Joint negotiation forum.
 We have concluded negotiations on cost of
living adjustment we settled for 4.5%.
 We anticipate tough times ahead for all of us
in the next 5 years due to the economic crisis
that has hit the country because of the shrink
in SACU revenues.
Joint Negotiation Forum
• This was a period for salary reviews but the
government came with a proposal that
anything with financial implications on the
agenda items of the JNF should be scrapped
off. This we rejected as unions.
• Why? The government effected salary reviews
for politicians.
• This under normal circumstances is carried out
after salary reviews for the civil service.
Joint negotiation Forum
• Lack of fiscal prudence in government
expenditure characterized by among other
things tarring of palace to palace roads with
no economic benefit for the country.
• Converging of departments to ministries.
• This has exposed the country to Bretton
Woods Institutions the IMF and the World
bank.
Joint negotiations Forum
• These institutions has imposed structural
adjustment programs such as the Fiscal
Adjustment road map. Of which the brunt
shall be borne by workers. Among other
things this document which was endorsed by
cabinet contains;
• Enhanced Voluntary Retirement Scheme
• Right sizing
• Outsourcing
Joint negotiations forum
• We have adopted a joint program of action to
galvanize workers against this. We believe that
this is a situation where workers have no
choice but to fight or lose. Its better to die
with your gloves on than to surrender without
entering into the ring.
Political Environment
• As a country we have been engulfed by a state
of emergency since 12 April 1973.
• The advent of the so called new constitution
has not helped but legitimized the status quo.
• Furthermore there is no instrument nullifying
the decree is correctly picked by the High level
delegation from ILO.
Political Environment
• Cdes will remember that on the 1st May 2010 in
Swaziland may day celebrations were invaded by
police.
• They went to an extent of stripping your jacket to
check if you are not wearing a T-Shirt belonging
to PUDEMO or SWAYOCO.
• The Suppression of terrorism act does not have
those provisions, for a search without a warrant
but it is only the 1973 decree that yields such
powers.
Political Environment
• This resulted in one worker Sipho Jele arrested
and subsequently “killed” in police custody.
For wearing a T Shirt.
• Over the past few months we have seen an
increased state repression paralleled by
increased resistance from motive forces.
• As we speak Swaziland has been placed in
special paragraph of the ILO.
Political Environment
• We are more than convinced that liberation of
the Swazis must be conscious effort of the people
of Swaziland, as dictated by the material/
concrete conditions from time to times.
• As nurse we are professionals we have to wage a
struggle on a daily basis of defending our
profession.
• We are also involved in the struggle against
patriarchy in our society in general and work
place in particular.
Political Environment
• We are also involved in the struggle against
repression by the Tinkhundla regime that is
characterized by;
• Semi Feudalism( forced labour, contribution and
removals)
• International Capital
• Gender disparities
• The unfortunate part is that the monarch is
the face of the above atrocities.
Political Environment
• We are convinced that we need to wage the
struggle against patriarchy in a systematic way
i.e. when delivering on the quantitative
practical gender needs we need to focus on
the strategic, qualitative gender needs. So that
we don’t see women being co-opted into
patriarchal structures but should seek to
dismantle the entire system of oppression.
Political Environment
• Therefore if our union is largely dominated by
women, we are the first to feel the pinch of triple
oppression. It is imperative that we engage in the
struggle because we stand to benefit more as
nurses.
• All this has been necessitated by the fact that
political parties are banned in Swaziland through
the 1973 decree and the Suppression of
Terrorism act.Trade Unions are the only
organisations that can speak on issues of social
policy and administration.
Political Environment
• The Global day of action on Swaziland on the 5th
September to 8th was characterized by high level
of intimidation and arrests and assault of trade
union leaders included COSATU and friends of
workers from Africa contact from Denmark who
were deported back to South Africa and Denmark
respectively.
• We have witnessed resilience from the workers of
Swaziland and nurses as they participated in the
action irrespective of the harassments and
arrests.
Political Environment
• We would like to implore you comrades, not
to have a pity party on us, but for you to
understand that a threat to democracy
somewhere is a threat to democracy
everywhere.
• We need you to continue supporting the
people of Swaziland in their quest for
democracy.
Lessons learnt from SANNAM
• Equipment of leadership to successfully
engage in shaping and influencing policy at
country level.
• Importance of solidarity within the region and
Africa as a whole, acknowledging the fact that
we cant be strong in the region if one country
is weak.(Twinning).
• Self reliance and organizational autonomy.
OBRIGADO
MERCI
DANKIE
SIYABONGA