Hope has been reignited for 22 civil servants who had lost their jobs after two government departments were abolished as they will be reinstated.
The two departments are the Mechanisation and Computer Services in the ministries of agriculture and information, communication and technology (ICT), respectively. These departments were abolished in 2021.
The Mechanisation Section was responsible for coordinating the service provision tractor-hire service that was created basically to provide mechanical power to farmers.
This project was meant to be managed by government for a few years after which it was to be taken over by farmers and run as a business for income generation and sustainability of the service. However, this service is obtainable under the National Maize Corporation (NMC).
The latest development follows an agreement between the workers’ union, National Public Services and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), and the Government Negotiations Team (GNT), which was reached yesterday. The two parties signed a collective agreement to this effect at the ministry of public service offices.
This development comes four years after the departments from these two ministries were abolished by government.
NAPSAWU President Bawinile Ndlovu said a majority of the workers who were stationed in these departments were paid their terminal benefits except for 20 employees who remained behind in the ministry of agriculture and two employees who remained behind in the ministry of ICT.
She said the union sought the intervention of the court because the dismissal of the workers was deemed unlawful in that they were dismissed without due engagement with the union under which they affiliated.
Ndlovu said on April 27, 2022, the Industrial Court declared government’s conduct in bypassing NAPSAWU and engaging its members directly as unlawful and unfair and in breach of the Recognition Agreement between the government and the union. She said the court directed the ministry of public service to negotiate with NAPSAWU on the status of the remaining employees, which was done.
“Pursuant to negotiations that have been held between the parties on various occasions, the parties agreed that all the remaining employees from the two departments should be re-engaged to comparable or identical work to that which the employees were engaged in before the purported termination of their services, or to other reasonably suitable work or employment within the civil service,” stated Ndlovu.
She added that the re-engagements would be facilitated through the Management Services Department (MSD) in the ministry of public service, in consultation with the relevant government ministries where the equivalent positions are obtainable and the Civil Service Commission (CSC), including with the affected employees and the union.
“The internal logistics processes and consultations are projected to be undertaken with immediate effect with a target to complete them within a period of three weeks. In our next engagements, we will continue with negotiations with regards to any compensation as may be considered reasonable and due to the remaining employees recurrent to their purported termination in the civil service,” Ndlovu said.
The president appreciated the cooperation from the affected civil servants for their perseverance during the period that they had not been earning any salary and the team by government which included Ministry of Public Service Principal Secretary Mthunzi Shabangu and Under Secretary Richard Phungwayo. On behalf of the affected workers, Ndlovu appreciated the support from all stakeholders, including members of parliament (MPs) and the Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko.
Eswatini Observer Press Reader
