THE government has still not released the much awaited gazette for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 salary increment for factory workers, in spite of the pledge made last week.
business
May 25, 2021
STAFF REPORTER
3 min read
Still no gazette yet – workers unions
The striking factory workers blocking the Thetsane Road last week
After the workers held a series of demonstrations against their low salaries which began on May 14, a Cabinet Sub-Committee met the workers unions last week Wednesday and promised that the workers’ grievances which include the release of the said gazette would be heard and addressed not later than Monday this week.
The government made the pledge after appealing to the workers unions to temporarily halt the strikes while the issues at hand were being addressed.
Deputy General Secretary of the National Clothing Textile and Allied Workers Union (NACTWU), Tšepang Makakole says despite the promise made, the government through the Ministry of Labour and Employment has not released the gazette like promised.
He said during the meeting held on Monday, the unions were told that legal representatives of both the labour ministry and Cabinet have advised against the issuing gazette at this stage. “However, the Minister of Labour and Employment Mr Moshe Leoma has promised to make an official statement later on Tuesday, regarding the gazette and factory workers' salaries,” Mr Makakole said.
He showed that the workers halted their demonstrations after some of them were injured during the ensuing run-ins with the police.
He said five workers including four males and a female were arrested by police during the strike, adding however, that only the female worker was later released without any charges being laid against her.
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But the four male workers are still in police custody and it is not clear why that is the case, he also said.
“The unions are therefore still investigating why and how only worker was released while the other four are still in police custody. Two other workers were shot and were taken to hospital while one suffered broken limps during scuffles with the police,” he further showed.
Another male worker was last week admitted at Queen ’Mamohato Memorial Hospital (Tšepong) with serious injuries on the groin area, after he was ran down by a hit and run lorry that lost control and plunged into the marching workers who had blocked the Thetsane road.
In 2018 the factory workers managed to negotiate a M2120 minimum wage and now they want an increment of 12% from their initially proposed 20 percent. LeNA/METRO
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