31 Mar 2015

Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu says he is aware that 13 employees of the Botswana Society for the Deaf in Francistown lodged a dispute of failure to pay overtime at the Francistown district labour office on June 10 last year.

Answering a question in Parliament, he said the dispute was mediated on August 22 and September 24 last year.

Minister Batshu said since the matter was not resolved, a certificate of failure to reach a settlement was issued by the mediator on September 24, in terms of section 8(11) of the Trade Disputes Act, Cap.48:02.

Furthermore, he said the complaints thereafter registered their case at the Francistown Industrial Court (case No. IC 335/14) On October 7 and was scheduled to be heard on May 12-13 this year.

Mr Batshu said on October 21 last year, the same 13 employees lodged another dispute on unfair termination, severance benefit and leave pay at the district labour office, and the dispute was mediated on December 2 but was also not resolved.

“A certificate of failure to reach a settlement was issued on January 21 to allow either party to refer the matter to the Industrial Court in terms of Section 8(10) of the Trade Disputes Act, Cap.48:02 if they so wished, I can confirm that to this date the matter has not yet been registered with the industrial court,” he said.

Minister Batshu further said a labour inspection was conducted at the Botswana Society for the Deaf in Francistown on May 30, last year, and the inspection revealed non-compliance in the areas of overtime payment, workers compensation and public holidays.

He said the department of labour and social security consequently advised the board of the centre to comply.

“I am informed that while in the process of complying, the employees refused to work overtime and this resulted in their dismissal, but a follow up labour inspection will be conducted at the Botswana Society for the Deaf in Francistown within the next two weeks,” he said.

Member of Parliament for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had wanted the minister to state if he was aware of the mass dismissal of employees of the Botswana Society for the Deaf in Francistown and whether he was privy to details leading to their dismissal, and when he would consider sending an inspection team to the centre to investigate allegations of issues of abuse of workers and of constructive dismissal. ENDS