The Ministry of Labour published a statement containing employment contingency measures in response to the Covid-19 National Emergency.

Click here to view the statement. 

The following employment measures shall be observed by employers and workers during the Covid-19 National Emergency period.

Measures that are meant to mitigate against the effects of loss of earnings:

Employers in consultation with a recognized employees’ organisation or employees’ representative structure within the enterprise and the Commissioner of Labour, are to consider the following options to mitigate against the effects of loss of earnings by their employees during the partial lock-down period or during the entire period of the national emergency as the case may be –

• Granting employees their annual paid leave, in consultation with the employees
• Applying for the release of the bond of security wages from the office of the Commissioner of Labour in terms of section 63 of the Employment Act
• Granting employees advance salaries or explore possible pre-access to any other form of social security as may be available within the enterprise for medium or long term contingencies such as pension schemes and provident funds, in consultation with the employees and the Registrar of Retirement Funds
• Suspension of Eswatini National Provident Fund contributions for April and May 2020 and divert these to cushion wages and salaries payments
• Other options such as homework, shift work and short time, acting in consultation with the employees or their representative structure, provided that any of the options are not incompatible with any of the conditions of the lockdown period or any of the conditions of the declared national emergency.

The statement also contains details about interim measures for workplace governance, such as temporary lay-offs, retrenchments, suspension of Wages Council negotiations, occupation safety and health of front-line and all healthcare workers and variation of contracts of employment. Please refer to the statement for more information.