Mining companies mistreat workers
187 labour disputes registered in Jwaneng Labour office
Employees of mining companies in Jwaneng are complaining of gross injustice at the hands of the companies and government.
The disgruntled workers allege that companies contracted by Debswana mine abuse them. They add that the Jwaneng District Labour office is unfair towards workers and former workers of companies in the Jwaneng area.
The disgruntled workers spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity as they fear being blacklisted.
The workers and former workers cite occupational health and safety, shift and housing allowances, delays in salary payments, delayed or non- issuance of severance benefits, protective clothing, night- shift safety and health issues, Covid- 19 isolation days and paid and unpaid holidays, leave days and maternity among the contentious issues.
They have also raised issues concerning recruitment and retrenchment procedures alleging that they have been mistreated by the companies that have employed them.
A source who worked for a company which is contracted to transport workers to and from the mine said they received major pay cuts during the Covid- 19 pandemic even though the Debswana mine had promised that there would be no pay cuts for all employees who work under contracted companies hired by the mine.
The source alleged that they worked longer hours than those stipulated in the contracts yet they did not receive overtime pay. Moreover, the former employee alleged that the labour office in Jwaneng did not heed their complaints because the official handling the matter is a friend of their company director therefore their complaints were not taken seriously.
The Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs did not respond to questions sent on allegations of misconduct in the Jwaneng Labour office.
Furthermore, the displeased former employee indicates that they worked weekends but they were not paid for the hours worked. He indicates that his employer did not give them a timesheet so he made one for himself.
Another worker who works for a security company in Jwaneng complained that their employer cuts their salaries when goods are stolen from work. The man said that if the goods are stolen whilst they are on duty, their employers take their salaries, a scenario which leaves them with little to no monies.
Another source alleged that the company he worked for did not give him the full protective clothing equipment ( PPE). Over time, it led to him developing a severe hearing loss.
He noted that the doctor his company took him to indicated that the injuries he sustained were not from the effect of not having proper ( PPE), but the report of a specialist indicates that he got the injuries whilst on the job. The former employee questions the hierarchy of a general doctor to that of a specialist in the same medical field.
Botswana Health Professions spokesperson Dr. Malebo Keiponye has noted that they are not aware of any allegations of General practitioners who collude with companies to rob workers of compensation monies in the Jwaneng area.
Furthermore, Keiponye noted that whenever an organisation is in doubt about the authenticity of a report given by a medical doctor, they can engage another health expert in the health profession for a second opinion.
Member of Parliament for Jwaneng Mabutsane area Mephato Reatile has lobbied the Ministry of Labour and the Debswana mine on behalf of disgruntled workers in his area.
“My duty is not to play judge or jury but rather to create an enabling atmosphere to eliminate any misconceptions, misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the law,” Reatile said, adding that there are directors and managers who do not respect the law and consciously choose to disregard it.
Reatile notes that there are laws and legislations in place for workers or miners, however, the bone of contention is in the lack of implementation, and lack of knowledge on how to address the issues of Health and Safety in the mining sector or any workplace.
The constituency office facilitated an enabling environment for workers injured as far back as 2003/ 2004 and the injured Debswana Mineworkers in the year 2018- 2019,.
After the necessary investigations were completed, the mining company paid over P3 million to its former employees under the Worker’s Compensation Act. Thus making Debswana an exemplary organisation where workers’ rights and compensations are concerned.
Debswana Jwaneng Mine spokesperson Montlenyane Baaitse explained that Debswana has policies that protect the rights of employees, including employees employed by companies for which Debswana gives contracts.
Baaitse noted that there is a process that the mine follows when handling allegations of misconduct on the side of the subcontracted company.
Baaitse urged employees of subcontracted companies to contact contract managers who handle the contracts of the companies they work under if their complaint is not being taken into account.
The contract managers along with the social performance unit have set up measures in place to ensure that companies are held accountable for their actions.