Africa-Press – Botswana. A decision by the government to purchase 161 breeding cattle from America is reported to have prompted a looming class action by scores of public servants employed across Artificial Insemination (IA) camps in Botswana, documents show. Less than three months after President Mokgweetsi Masisi received the cattle inseminators and other officers have put the State on notice that they intend to file suit over labour practices and callous living conditions. It is understood that the employees had long lodged their grievances with relevant authorities about the long working hours that they were subjected to and the callus living conditions.
“They nearly backed down by not taking their employer to task but sprang into action after discovering that government spent millions of Pula on breeding more cattle which will exacerbate their poor working conditions,” sources said. The aggrieved officers’ lawyers Kambai Attorneys wrote to the Attorney General that: “Client’s contention is that when they break during the aforesaid intervals, they have to remain within the AI (Artificial Insemination camp or farm. They further contend that during the aforesaid breaks, they have no choice but to remain on duty (standby) since their services are often required to attend to the cattle.”
In the detailed letter, the officers who include among others, senior inseminators, agricultural field assistant, labourers and headmen indicate that “For instance, if a cow or beast runs out of the kraal they are expected to attend to it when they are expected to attend to it when they are supposed to be off duty.”
In some instances, they said, they have to apply “some dipping chemicals/mediations during the break when they are supposed to be off duty.” The officers’ bone of contention is that during the odd breaks, they are actually on standby but no provision is made for standby allowance. They also contend that they work longer than 8 hours since even when they resume duty at 15;00 hours they have to walk kilometers in the 8km x 8km AI camps at night looking for cattle for purposes of herding them in the dark.
“Clients instruct that, in reality, they knock off between 22:00 and 23:00. Therefore, in reality, clients work for more than twelve hours in a day: in violation of the Public Service Act. Clients instructs that they work during those additional hours without compensation or overtime,” Kambai Attorneys said.
The officers indicated that given their hazardous working environment, they are entitled to protective clothing, which includes boots, hard-hats and masks. “Clients instruct that masks are important as they work in a dusty environment due to dry cow dung and dust at the kraals. Clients stand the risk of developing lung cancer diseases from the dust caused by cow dung,” the officers’ lawyers argued. They said the hard-hat is necessary as they have to climb to high heights in order to observe the animals that are on heat for insemination purposes. The hard hat is part of the protective clothing – a requirement for their safety. The officers also revealed that they are generally housed in dilapidated houses at the various AI Camps which are not fit for human occupation.
They instruct that the majority of the houses have leakages and soak under water during the rainy season, where there are also no adequate ablution facilities but one toilet shared by all workers and also used by visitors or guests. The lawyers also indicated that in some instances their client does not have access to electricity, either conventional or solar-powered. They claim that this makes their living conditions dangerous as it pitch black at night or use modern technology for learning and communication. It is also dangerous in that the officers and their families are exposed to the wildlife in the area, the lawyers said.
“It is our client’s considered opinion that the issues raised can be resolved without the need for litigation. Our clients therefore implore the employer to look into an administrative solution to the issues. However, if there is no solution, our clients will have no option but to institute legal action on the expiry of the statutory notice,” the lawyers warned.
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