2 May 2022: Eswatini textile strike

On this day, 2 May 2022 approximately 2000 striking garment and textile workers gathered in the Nhlangano manufacturing hub in Eswatini for a mass meeting. Some had walked more than 8 km to get there.The strike of around 8000 workers in total had begun five weeks prior, demanding a living wage of at least E15 per hour or E2983 (US$183) per month.Representatives of the striking union, the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland, complained that police and government troops had been harassing strikers, visiting their homes, tear gassing them and threatening them with eviction if they did not go back to work.Around 30 workers at the meeting got up to speak in favour of continuing the strike, and despite the repression, the strikers resolved to continue their work stoppage. On May 9, strikers agreed to return to work pending further negotiations with employers. Upon their return to work, the employers attempted to force workers to sign documents stating the reason for the absence, which most workers refused to sign. The result of the dispute is unclear.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/11054/eswatini-textile-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History