24 Feb 2019

The entry scale for National Craft Certificate (NCC) holders in the public service is C4, which translates to P75 624 per annum, Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skill Development has said.

Responding to a question in Parliament, Minister Tshenolo Mabeo said wage rate for NCC holders in various sectors varied from company to company and government only determined minimum wage rates.

He also told the house that 80 of the 100 employees at Chitswana Enterprises trading as Steel Galaxy were paid by Hitecon PTY LTD and that the managing director of the two companies was the majority shareholder in both organisations. 

He said the 80 employees of the company were paid from the bank account of Hitecon because the company had an account at First National Bank, where the employees also had bank accounts.

Mr Mabeo explained that Steel Galaxy’s bank account was at Standard Chartered Bank and that paying the 80 employees through Hitecon bank account was for the employees’ convenience.

He said the company management had been advised by labour inspectors to normalise the arrangement by paying employees from the bank account of steel galaxy.

Regarding the hazardous conditions at the factory, Minister Mabeo said the last factory inspection was carried out on February 13 and it observed excessive noise, heat, optical hazards, electrical shock, fumes and gases.

He said the employer had provided control measures to prevent and mitigate the conditions.

He explained that the workshop manager had been assigned the duties of a Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) officer because the structure of the company did not provide for the post.

Member of Parliament for Gaborone North, Mr Haskins Nkaigwa had asked if the minister was aware that NCC holders were paid low salaries and if he was aware that Steel Galaxy employees were paid through Hitecon.

Mr Nkaigwa also asked if the minister was aware that the company did not have a SHE officer despite dealing with steel material under dangerous conditions. ENDS