Mbabane – The Ministry of Public Service has issued a statement this morning saying the Prime Minister extended a formal invitation to the leadership of the Public Sector Unions for a meeting, as the unions had been set to deliver a petition to government today, April 20, 2026.
The ministry acknowledged that the issue of notching remains under active discussion within ongoing negotiation processes and said negotiations have not reached a deadlock, describing any related actions by the unions as premature given that talks are set to resume next week.
“The Ministry acknowledges that the subject of notching remains under active deliberation within the framework of ongoing negotiation processes. At present, negotiations have not reached a deadlock, rendering any related actions premature, especially in light of the fact that negotiations are set to resume next week,” the statement read. 
The Prime Minister’s invitation to union leadership was extended this morning and was aimed at opening dialogue and finding a mutually agreeable way forward, pending the finalisation of proceedings by the Joint Negotiations Forum and related processes.
Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko signed off on the statement, in which the government reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare of all public servants and to honouring the legally established frameworks that govern good-faith engagement at all levels.
The petition delivery had been planned by public sector unions including the Swaziland National Association of Teachers, which had earlier received a permit from the Municipal Council of Mbabane to march and deliver the petition in the city this morning.
