Debswana Mine Workers Negotiations Dragging On

Negotiations between Debswana and the union representing diamond mine workers are yet to reach an agreement on wages and an annual bonus.

The two sides have been holding talks on and off for the past several weeks and in the course of talks have found themselves in court to find out if workers are allowed to go on strike, while the President of Botswana has pleaded with workers not to strike.

But both sides have dug in deep and are unable to make much headway. Currently the De Beers’ daughter company is offering workers a 10 percent pay raise and a one-off production bonus equal to 10 percent of annual salary to be no lower then 350 pula ($74).

The Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) is demanding a 16 percent increase in wages and a 25 percent bonus.

Debswana’s Human Resources Manager Jacob Sesinyi told IDEX Online that the two sides are taking a break for consultations and will meet again next Thursday.

If they aren’t able to settle their differences then, the sides are expected to publish a joint statement and resume talks following a 15-day break. Sesinyi says that if they are still not able to resolve their differences, the next step will be to go to arbitration or take the issue to the Commissioner of Labor.

On why the negotiations are taking so long Sesinyi said, “The main problem is that there are two systems (of payment).” The workers, he says, want their bonuses and pay raise to be structured in the same way as that enjoyed by management.

BMWU national chairman, Gaebepe Senna, says the workers are keen to find a solution. “The workers won’t go on strike, but we are still waiting for a reasonable offer.”