President Obama withdrew the country’s eligibility for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) last Thursday. Michael Froman, the US trade representative, explained that the decision was taken in light of Swaziland’s continuing labour rights abuses. AGOA status enables countries in sub-Saharan Africa to get duty-free access to the US market on thousands of products, making it cheaper to enter the USD 3 trillion import market.
The ITF has long campaigned for improved workers’ rights in Swaziland, most recently campaigning for the release of imprisoned union lawyer Basil Thwala. During a March 2014 visit to the country, ITF assistant general secretary Stuart Howard led a high-level mission to the country, which met with government representatives and US embassy officials. Howard said: “In March, we personally warned the government that its denial of union rights was likely to lead to its losing AGOA. They refused to listen. Now they're paying the consequences.”
While Thwala was released just days before the US Department of Trade was scheduled to review the AGOA agreement, unions including the ITF-affiliated Swaziland Transport & Allied Workers’ Union (STAWU) continue to face government harassment.
US axes Swazi trade deal over rights abuses
news
ON THE GROUND
news
Building union power across borders: ITF and LFTU unite for Laos’ transport workers
In a historic milestone for worker solidarity in Southeast Asia, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lao Federation of Trade
news
Press Release
Seafarer abandonments cases surge by 30% in 2025
Over 2,280 seafarers have been abandoned aboard 222 vessels so far this year – with $13.1 million in unpaid wages and a 30% year-on-year increase in cases New figures released today by the
news
Global victory for platform workers as ILO Resolution passed
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has formally passed a Resolution committing to address decent work in the platform economy – a historic breakthrough for platform workers everywhere. For