Truckers sue Unitrans
Innocent Selatlhwa | Thursday May 26, 2016 14:26
The Botswana Transport and Allied Workers Union (BOTRAWU) is acting on behalf of the employees.
Represented by Sikhakhane and Company Attorneys, the union also wants an order that Unitrans pays all affected members from July 1, 2015 to date. The case will be before Justice Lakvinder Walia. According to papers filed by BOTRAWU, in June 2015 BOTRAWU and Unitrans entered into a wage negotiation agreement that will cover the period July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2017.
The agreement superseded the offer that Unitrans management made to the drivers in April 2015 following the collapse of the negotiations and such agreement entailed an improvement of the previous offer in terms of the values attached to the salary bands.
“It was agreed and recorded that the new agreement would be for a two-year duration, commencing on 1st July 2015 and expiring on the 30th June 2017, effectively meaning that any review of the current salary structure negotiations would begin in May 2017,” reads the court papers.
It was agreed that these new salary increases for all members of the union would become effective on July 1 each year commencing July 1 2015. The agreement constituted a full and final settlement of the substantive conditions of the 2015 wage negotiations for the two-year period. Moreover, BOTRAWU states that a settlement certificate in support of their claim was issued on May 26, 2015 wherein the matter between the parties was referred to the District Labour Office where it was resolved that the new salary increases would effect as agreed
“Pursuant to the said agreement, BOTRAWU members have been accordingly reporting for work without problems. However, since the commencement of the said wage negotiations agreement, the employer has refused and/or neglected to put the terms thereof into effect and realisation,” the papers read.
BOTRAWU argues that Unitrans refused and/or neglected to pay drivers subsistence allowances and instead makes advances to the said drivers, which advances are therefore then deducted at the end of each month from the salaries.
The union also states that the employer refused and/or neglected to pay meal allowances to the employees who spend the whole day outside their duty stations on company business.