Court Rules Botswana Strike Illegal

Debswana mine workers suffered a setback today (Friday) when a Botswana Industrial Court ruled they cannot strike after new wage negotiations met an impasse.

After a one day delay, the Industrial Court told diamond miners and their union representatives, the Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU), this afternoon that they can not go on strike as they have not met certain conditions set in their agreement with Debswana.

A BMWU representative told IDEX Online after the ruling that the union is calling for a general meeting tomorrow (Saturday) to "tell workers the bad news and decide on our next course of action".

Last week the Commissioner of Labor suggested the sides choose to go to arbitration, an offer the union has reportedly rejected but might consider to take up on, now that the option of striking had been removed.

The mining company and union have been negotiating new wage agreements and recently met an impasse. Negotiations stopped after Debswana told workers it won't budge from its last offer of a 10 percent cost of living increase and a one time production bonus of 10 percent of annual salary.

BMWU is demanding a 13 percent wage increase and a 15 percent bonus, threatening that if their demands are not met they will go on strike.