Wildcat strike halts Swazi rail operations

MBABANE – A wildcat strike by workers at Swaziland Railways has halted operations at the rail terminal in Mpaka in east central Swaziland. Workers voted to strike on Saturday, May 25, to press for higher wages, and downed tools the next day. 12 trains per day on average move into and out of the rail yard. Loss of revenue to Swaziland has reportedly been about R2 million a day. Workers were advised by union representatives at a meeting on Monday at Mpaka that the Industrial Court of Swaziland had ruled the strike illegal, and workers were required to return to their jobs. However, workers refused to end the work stoppage and voted to employ an attorney to pursue their case in court. Swaziland Railway said in a press statement that a solution to the wage dispute was being handled internally