UB, WUC manual workers get salary increment
CHARLESHILL: The National Amalgamated Local Centre Government and Parastatal Manual Workers Union has revealed that it has successfully negotiated salary increments for its members.
This was said during the Labour Day celebrations on May 1, 2023 held in Charleshill.
The Manual Workers Union held May Day commemorations in four areas, namely, Selebi-Phikwe, Seronga, Bokspits and Charleshill under the theme, “Demanding Workers Rights and Economic Power”.
This was the first May Day commemoration since the outbreak of COVID-19 in late December 2019. Speaking at the Charleshill event held at Boipelo Primary School grounds, the Manual Workers Union, chief executive officer, Elsinah Botsalano said there has been a positive outcome from the talks with the employers in the parastatal sector.
Botsalano also said the union has successfully negotiated a six percent salary increment for its members with Water Utilities Corporation (WUC). “It has been years since our comrades at WUC had a salary increment. WUC decried of lack of financial capability but during our talks we made them realise the salaries do not meet the day to day demands of life while it also has been a while since the last increment.
“So at the end we finally agreed to a 6% increase,” she said.
She also indicated that the union also successfully negotiated a nine percent increase for the lower and a seven percent salary increase for the upper class employees at the University of Botswana (UB). Furthermore, she said it has been
just over four years since the last salary increment at the institution and the union will continue to advocate members’ wages and salaries. Botsalano said the union is also in positive talks with the government over the salary increment for night watchmen and guards, the insurance of government vehicles and the promotion of kitchen hands to cooks.
However, she cautioned the members against unprofessional behaviour such as petty theft and late coming. For his part, the Manual Workers Union national chairperson, Eric Molale said the union is committed to continue to bargain on behalf of its members in order to secure and maintain favourable remuneration, working conditions, hours of work and other conditions of employment. He also said the union is committed to advocating laws, policies and practices favourable to the members.
“We have been working tirelessly, negotiating with the employers about the rights of the employees and slowly but surely we are winning this negotiations. You have heard from the CEO about what we have achieved as a union in our negotiations. We have achieved a 13.14% for A3 scale, we have achieved 6% for Water Utilities and a 7% and 9% at UB.
This shows that we are working hard every day to fight for your rights,” Molale said. He said the union is committed to have peaceful negotiations with the employer during all occasions.
The District Commissioner, Aaron Mafokate said Labour Day celebrations and commemoration give the union and the workers a moment to reflect on the achievements and shortcomings from the previous year.
Mafokate was left disappointed with the turn out on the day as he said it did not reflect the importance of the day. He advised both the union and its members to keep well informed on the new government policies and acts so they can keep up to date with their strategies.