Khoemacau mine employees petition management
Mine accused of violating workers’ rights
Disgruntled employees at Khoemacau Copper Mine, joined by Barminco employees are this week expected to petition the mine management in Maun.
Barminco is a company sub- contracted by Khoemacau to do its mining activities.
According to Botswana Mine Workers Union ( BMWU) General Secretary Maenge Maenge this follows numerous attempts by the employees to meaningfully engage with the management but all in vain.
Maenge said the conditions of service are unbearable; people are kept in the bush at the mercy of vicious wild animals, no proper accommodation, no medical facilities, racism is rampant and employment processes are barbaric.
Maenge said there is unfair labour practices and inhumane treatment at the expense of mining the country’s precious minerals. He revealed that employees are forced to vacate a habitable place in Toteng to stay in the bush just to make way for contractors to stay safe in Toteng.
“It is of great concern that it came out evident from our interaction with your management that you are the architect of all these ills. The example is the recognition agreement that has been on the table for the past six months with your interference frustrating the process.
“We noted with shock your remarks that the union need to be frustrated at all costs as they are not there to run the company. The remarks are a serious breach of the processes and lacks respect to the labour laws and not befitting to be uttered by a person of your calibre and or position and need to be retracted with an apology,” Maenge wrote in a notice to Chief Executive Officer of Khoemacau Copper Mining, Johan Ferreira.
Attempts to speak to Ferreira on Wednesday were rebuffed with an officer asking for a questionnaire since the chief executive was in a meeting.
According to Maenge these are just but a summary of the concerns raised and suffered by the employees. Workers’ rights are human rights and the BMWU will never tolerate a situation where workers’ rights are trampled upon willy- nilly, he added. The management could not be drawn into discussing the matter at press time insisting on being furnished with a questionnaire which was complied with.
This is not the first time the union clashed with the mine management over workers’ rights. In June this year Khoemacau dismissed accusations by BMWU that it is flouting employee safety regulations. This followed an incident in which two employees at the mine lost their lives in an accident in May 2022.
The employees were working for Barminco, a company sub- contracted by Khoemacau to do its mining activities. Following the fatal incident, the union accused the mine of turning a blind eye to the safety of employees among other issues.
The Union has also accused Khoemacau management of failing to engage them on issues of safety. BMWU has also accused Khoemacau of victimising employees, favouritism and racism among other vices.