Unionist cries foul as salary is frozen

Sharon Mathala | Friday June 27, 2014 17:01

 

Motshegwa works for the Francistown City Council (FCC).

In a statement yesterday, the Federation said it believed the salary cessation was due to an exchange of letters between the FCC and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

“What is surprising and disturbing is that neither the Ministry or the Council or the Director of Public Service Management has written a letter inviting Motshegwa to a disciplinary hearing or written any letter warning him that he has been expelled from the civil service, “ the Federation’s general secretary, Tobokani Rari said.

Rari said they have since learnt that the Ministry believes the FCC has axed Motshegwa, hence the cessation of his salary. The Federation said it believed the deputy secretary general was being targeted for his union work.

“Without any reasons advanced for non-payment and expulsion of Motshegwa, the Union can only suspect that he is being persecuted for his trade union work,” Rari said in the statement.

“He has been radical and persevering in advancing the agenda of defending the worker’s rights as well as taking the government head on.”

Motshegwa wrote a letter to the Director of Public Service Management explaining the situation he is facing. “On June 16, 2014 I asked for my payslip from the FCC Finance Department, whereupon I was informed that they had been instructed to stop paying my salary, hence the unavailability of my salary slip.

“The above position sent shockwaves through me since there is no legal basis for their refusal to pay me, and there can never be.

“The failure to pay my wages when same are due is a criminal offence under Section 145 of the Employment Act and I trust that I will not have to approach the police for action under the said Section,” reads the letter.

In his letter, Motshegwa says if government is responsible for the non-payment of his salary, “then the only reasonable inference I can make is that I am being victimised for my trade union activities”.

The Ministry and the FCC were unavailable for comment at press time.