14 Jan 2021

Member of Parliament for Ramotswa, Mr Lefhoko Moagi says it is the government’s desire to grow local industries in order to improve the economy.

Mr Moagi said this during a tour of the local steel smelting and manufacturing company, Reliance Foundries at Taung this week.

He said it was government’s goal to create an environment where local industries could flourish.

MP Moagi encouraged Reliance Foundries management to put forward their challenges and suggest possible solutions, which he would then engage the government with.

Furthermore, Mr Moagi called on the company to care for its employees, saying the company needed its employees to survive while the employees needed the company for their survival.

Mr Moagi, who is also the Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, said it was upon the company to impress its employees with better rates, especially those working in risky areas.

However, he said such a decision should not compromise the survival of the company as the government did not want any firms shutting down employment opportunities.

Reliance Foundries founder and director, Mr Subhash Kapur said the company, which employs over 525 employees, sold its products mainly in South Africa.

He said the arrangement had its challenges such as the exchange rate as the Pula was stronger against the South African Rand.

Mr Kapur said the current exchange rate was only beneficial to importers, and that it contributed less to the manufacturing industry in the country.

Regarding employees, Mr Kapur said their business was in a tough industry, adding that  it was labour intensive hence employees came and went.

Still at the firm, Mr Moagi met with Reliance Foundries employees who cited low wages and poor conditions of service among their challenges.

The employees also said they were afraid to air their grievance for fear of victimization, but  the legislator encouraged them to organise themselves and write a letter to his office.

Mr Moagi also told them that he would engage their management over their grievances.

However, information gathered indicated that employees were not unionised and that there was no committee or forums where they could collectively engage management on their conditions of service.

Reliance Foundries uses a furnace which melts iron scarp at 1250 degrees Celsius to make materials such as manhole covers, frames and fencing iron poles among others. Ends