26 Feb 2019

By the beginning of 2019, Gaborone West district labour office had 195 labour disputes awaiting mediation and the cases were outside the 30-days statutory period for mediation.

This was said the Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Mr Eric Molale in Parliament on February 25 on behalf of the Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development.

Answering a question from the MP for Tlokweng Mr Masego Segokgo, Minister Molale explained that the number had since been reduced to 34 labour disputes awaiting mediation to date.

Mr Molale said the backlog accumulated from January 2019 could be attributed to the fact that most employers were unavailable during the festive season, so cases were not scheduled until they were available.

He told the parliamentarians that the ministry engaged nine part-time mediators/arbitrators to help clear the backlog.

“Currently, there are eight full time mediators at Gaborone West district labour office and nine part-time arbitrators,” he said, adding that all the staff members including those on part-time are degree holders.

Further, Mr Molale said there were two revenue collectors at the Gaborone West district labour office; however one resigned in December 2018.

He said this resulted in some clients not being assisted when they wanted to pay cash in settlement of disputes, adding that the ministry was in the process of replacing the said revenue collector.

The minister mentioned that there were three more revenue collectors in the regional labour office in Gaborone (universal building) who assists in revenue collection.

It was also revealed that other cadres in the office were the support staff, being the administration officer, office secretary, switch board operator, messenger, gardener, night watchmen and a driver, whose qualifications ranged from junior certificate to Cambridge certificate.

Tlokweng legislator had asked the minister to state what measures were in place to deal with the backlog of labour disputes at the district labour office in Gaborone West/Block 8 and the number of arbitrators that were there to help clients with their disputes.

MP Segokgo had also wanted to know the number of revenue officers, their qualifications together with those of arbitrators. - By the beginning of 2019, Gaborone West district labour office had 195 labour disputes awaiting mediation and the cases were outside the 30-days statutory period for mediation.

This was said the Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Mr Eric Molale in Parliament on Monday on behalf of the Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development.

Answering a question from the MP for Tlokweng Mr Masego Segokgo, Minister Molale explained that the number had since been reduced to 34 labour disputes awaiting mediation to date.

Mr Molale said the backlog accumulated from January 2019 could be attributed to the fact that most employers were unavailable during the festive season, so cases were not scheduled until they were available.

He told the parliamentarians that the ministry engaged nine part-time mediators/arbitrators to help clear the backlog.

“Currently, there are eight full time mediators at Gaborone West district labour office and nine part-time arbitrators,” he said, adding that all the staff members including those on part-time are degree holders.

Further, Mr Molale said there were two revenue collectors at the Gaborone West district labour office; however one resigned in December 2018.

He said this resulted in some clients not being assisted when they wanted to pay cash in settlement of disputes, adding that the ministry was in the process of replacing the said revenue collector.

The minister mentioned that there were three more revenue collectors in the regional labour office in Gaborone (universal building) who assists in revenue collection.

It was also revealed that other cadres in the office were the support staff, being the administration officer, office secretary, switch board operator, messenger, gardener, night watchmen and a driver, whose qualifications ranged from junior certificate to Cambridge certificate.

Tlokweng legislator had asked the minister to state what measures were in place to deal with the backlog of labour disputes at the district labour office in Gaborone West/Block 8 and the number of arbitrators that were there to help clients with their disputes.

MP Segokgo had also wanted to know the number of revenue officers, their qualifications together with those of arbitrators. ENDS