Debswana mulls over union wage demand

Although union and mine management officials are mum on details, it is understood the miners are seeking a wage review "significantly" higher than the four percent awarded to workers last December. Union officials say they only accepted the four percent as they empathised with the company's poor financial position after a blighting recession that shrank mining by 27 percent.

However, with the 2010/11 financial year wage negotiations kicking off in Jwaneng last week, unionists have reportedly armed themselves with statistics showing an upswing in diamond mining. The unionists, Mmegi has learnt, have pointed to Debswana's plans to increase production to 20 million carats from 17.7 million in 2009 and the sharp rise in gemstone prices as seen at the Diamond Trading Company Botswana.