South Sudan Sporadic Industrial Unrest
“We have no teargas in police stations” anonymous
By Malith Alier, Juba, South Sudan
June 20, 2016 (SSB) — The lecturers have downed their tools and the health workers stopped work on many occasions since 2005. Of course these are low key strikes which serve as tip of iceberg about nature of labour in the whole country.
The wider workforce, particularly the public sector workers helplessly lay dormant not because they had no industrial grievances against the employer, the government of South (GSS) but because they have not shaken off the intrinsic fear about the ruling junta in SPLM/SPLA.
The industrial unrest saw uniformed men; the ones we are afraid of involved in strike to settle claims on the streets by shooting in the air.
The government considers that the uniformed guys are not suitable for such strife. Preferably, they’re the ones to suppress industrial unrests with teargas or brutally in any case.
This country has never seen a major industrial unrest perhaps because of the potential or “unintended” consequences highly anticipated by the workers as above.
In a militarised society like ours, uncertainty reigns everywhere. The would-be striking workers could face the police or the military might. The lesser counter action may include summary dismissal by the government.
Industrial action is the refusal by employees to perform work or the performance of work in a manner that is intended to reduce productivity in a workplace.
Workers engage in industrial action because of unaddressed grievances in their workplaces. These grievances may include; low wages, poor work conditions and safety, overdue labour reforms and or to force governments to change unfair policies or laws.
French Workers are currently on streets against major labour reforms considered to affect workers and favour businesses.
A failure to address and settle labour grievances leads to industrial action as a last resort.
Industrial action takes several forms such as downing tools, sit-in, picket, running battles with law enforcement on the streets.
In case of South Sudan, the government or private sector has never experienced a major industrial unrest and may not expect one soon.
Last Friday, the government termed the striking employees as acting for regime change. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This comes from the fact the workers demands are plain simple and no regime change is implied in those demands. Payment of salary and allowances, promotion overdue for several years, provision for pension scheme for older or senior citizens, personal security for certain employees, transport services from and to workplace etc.
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