Galane Gold to retrench again
Patricia Edwin | Friday April 25, 2014 12:44
At the beginning of last year Galane Gold retrenched more than half of the 131 workforce, leading to a protracted battle with the unions who wanted the mine to reverse the decision.
While the company is mum on the issue, the Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) secretary general Bob Malele has confirmed the impending retrenchments, saying there were likely to start on May 6.
Malele said that initially they were not aware until they received information from the branch and the human resource office at the mine, which confirmed the impending retrenchments.
He said that he was told that basically production has gone down at Galane Gold.
“I was told that out of the three pits that have been operating, two have been shut down and only one is operating now. It will be mined by a company they have sub-contracted called Mining Tech,” he said.
Malele said that upon inquiry, the mine told him that many employees would be affected including those who are from human resources, administration and production
“Those people (from HR and administration) were left there to service those who were there but if they are being removed there is no need any more,” he added.
Malele said that the union is concerned because employees at Galane never know what the future holds for them.
“They should just close the mine and leave if they are failing instead of keeping Batswana uncertain of whether they have a job or not. It is very painful and it is unfair. We tell the government and the ministers about these things but we never get anywhere,” he said.
He accused the company of using loopholes in the law to do as they wish with the workers. “That is their style and I am not surprised. They know that once they let the Commissioner of Labour know their intention, they do not care about anybody else,” he said.
He said that companies operating in this country should realise that unions are in place to help when decisions like these are taken so that they can prepare their employees.
Efforts to get in touch with the management of the mine proved futile as they requested a questionnaire which they promised to answer, but even after follow-up phone calls and emails they had not responded.