Wage agreements are often reached by collective bargaining, and 75 percent of the private workforce is unionized. The Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions, the country s largest labor organization, has been a leader in demands for democratization. In December, the government Broadcasting and Information Services banned the federation from broadcasting any announcements or other information unless approved by authorities. Swaziland s free market sector operates with little government interference, but most Swazis remain engaged in subsistence agriculture. A drop in the price of gold has hurt the economy.
Many Swazi families depend on income from men working in South African mines.