Africa-Press – Botswana. Following union pressure over workers’ rights violations, the government has stepped in to address a payment dispute as workers had gone four months without pay.
The Minister of Minerals and Energy, Bogolo Kenewendo, has assured that workers at Masama Coal Mine will soon receive their outstanding salaries after government stepped in to convert the employer’s debt into public debt. The mine’s operator, Minergy, had failed to pay its employees for four months owing to severe financial challenges.
The government’s arrangement to settle these arrears by converting the employer’s debt was enabled by the fact that the company had been supported through a loan facility by Minerals Development Company Botswana (MDCB).
Government bail out
According to a statement released by her ministry on Tuesday, Kenewendo said the government’s intervention was necessary to safeguard workers’ livelihoods while stabilizing operations at the struggling mine. She emphasized that while the bailout ensures workers are compensated, long-term solutions are being explored to secure the mine’s sustainability and protect jobs.
Safeguarding the workers’ welfare
“The mine workers went unpaid for four months as the employer, Minergy faced financial difficulties. The Minister emphasised that the Government stepped in to safeguard the welfare of workers and their families as unpaid wages directly affect the livelihoods of Batswana,” the Ministry pronounced.
“Miners were assured that they will receive their four months’ arrears by next week. Responding to workers’ concerns about direct payments, it was announced that arrears will be disbursed through a trust fund to ensure transparency and accountability,” the Ministry added.
Heeded the call
The government’s intervention comes just two weeks after the Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) declared that it had exhausted all available avenues in seeking redress for its members. The union had argued that the matter went beyond a breach of contract, framing it as a human rights violation after workers’ repeated pleas for assistance were ignored.
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