Community and Worker's Struggles: Swazi Workers struggle against the closure of a mill owned by the South African company SAPPI
More than 600 members of the Swaziland Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union (SAPWU), who are employed by the South African-based global pulp and paper company SAPPI are set to lose their jobs.
SAPPI has paper mills and forests in South Africa, Swaziland, North America and Europe and it employs over 16 400 workers worldwide. It is a leading producer of coated fine paper widely used in books, brochures, magazines, catalogues. It is also the world's largest producer of chemical cellulose. SAPPI produces 3.3 million tons of pulp paper and 6.8 million tons of paper a year. The Southern African division, SAPPI Forest Products, operates five pulp and paper mills and one sawmill.
SAPPI is restructuring globally
SAPPI has embarked on an aggressive global drive to shut down mills that have a 'high cost capacity'. They have now decided to close the USUTU mill in Swaziland. The mill is is an integral part of the community and employs 600 workers, who are members of SAPWU.
Usutu pulp mill, from: http://chrislang.org
The 600 workers are housed in company owned housing and many people are facing homelessness. Through their past struggles, workers had ensured that the company invests in schools, health and other essential facilities. All these gains and more are now under threat.
On the 26th January, SAPWU called a mass meeting of workers and the community to resist the closure of the mill. The community and SAPWU members decided to march to the government asking them to intervene and to stop the closure and destruction of an entire community.
The union also approached the head of state, King Mswati III, asking for his intervention. The state has now stopped the company from cutting down timber from the plantation and has forbidden to export it back to South Africa.
The union wins in court
In addition to political pressure, the union approached the labour court to force the company to pay retrenchment packages in line with Swaziland jurisdiction. The union won this demand in court. The court ordered the company to comply with the the law and this has cost SAPPI a further R19m (2.5m USD). The total amount to be paid is R79m (10.12 m USD). The union instituted another court challenge, to force the company to pay retrenchment packages in terms of the recognition agreement between the union and the company. The union has now won its second court victory. On the 25th February SAPPI has been instructed to pay severance packages amounting a total of R420m (53.8m USD).
The Usutu mill is located in the town Bhunya near Manzini in Swaziland. SAPWU members employed at the mill have a history of militant struggles against injustices. They are an important foundation of the union and the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU). Workers stand to lose not only their jobs but housing, support for health facilities and schools as well.
SAFWN support for Swazi farm workers
The Southern African Farm Workers Network (SAFWN) also wishes to salute network partners who are Sawzi workers. In particular, the network salutes its Zambian brothers and sisters from the National Union of Plantation and Allied Workers (NUPAW) for their support of SAPWU. SAFWN is also facilitating contacts between SAPWU and CEPPWAWU (Chemical Energy, Pulp, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union) who organises SAPPI workers in the town of Nelspruit in South Africa.
