Judge unamused as employees accuse Game Store of theft

The case of 12 Gaborone Game Store stock controllers who have taken their employer to court is likely to drag to next year. The aggrieved employees are accusing Game Store of theft after the employer deducted huge sums from their salaries.

They allege that money was unlawfully deducted from their salaries over several months with no valid explanation given. At the time of seeking court intervention last year April, the total deductions stood at P100 000 for all 12 employees. The case before Industrial Court Judge Tapiwa Moleele has encountered another setback, resulting in the trial session being postponed. The respondents and Game Store management were ordered by Moleele in April and May this year to provide the applicants with the sales records requested in an effort to shed light on the Supplier Incentive Value (SPIV) and Game Incentive Value (GIV) allowances. SPIV and GIV are sales commissions for every qualifying sale made by an employee. Employees are given the commission in monetary form during payday.

At the time the Judge had emphasised that the records were important to determine the GIV and SPIV allowances. Although filing late, the respondents finally submitted the requested records but the applicants are not happy. They believe that Game Store did a shoddy job as some pages are not clear to read. They have since drafted an application asking the court to compel the respondents to provide proper records. In response, the respondents have noticed their intention to oppose and are expected to file their replying affidavit this week. Judge Moleele said the application’s heads of arguments will be heard on the 13th of October this year. “I will not be giving a date for trial until we are sure that the case is ready to continue. I have lost two days that were scheduled for this case, today and tomorrow. “I can give you the many cases that would have been ready to continue but there is nothing we can do now,” an unhappy Moleele said when Game Store attorneys asked the court to commit to a trial date.