BMWU, BCL meet to avert strike

CALISTUS KOLANTSHO
Correspondent | Wednesday May 29, 2013 00:00

 

SELEBI-PHIKWE: The Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) and BCL Mine are scheduled to meet this week to chart the way forward after the recent collapse of wage negotiations.The meeting is meant to avert a looming strike that the union is threatening to call after the failure of the negotiations.BMWU general secretary, Bob Malele has told Mmegi that the union's request for a meeting was turned down, only for the mine management to swiftly turn around and ask to meet union officials.

He said the union is willing to give the mine time to come up with a better proposal on salary negotiations.He said that the agreement was for the meeting to be held yesterday but that was not possible.'We cannot have a meeting with the mine management because we have an appointment with the Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Kitso Mokaila,' he explained.'The aim of the meeting is to discuss issues that affect the mining industry in the country and if we find an opportunity, we will talk to him about the salary negotiations that we are engaged in with the BCL Mine,' Malele added.

BMWU officials were meant to address members on Monday this week but this did not happen due to the pending meeting with the management. Malele said that they intended to discuss with members the modalities of the strike after the talks reached a deadlock. The decision to down tools followed receipt of a certificate of failure to settle for a mediator from the Department of Labour.