Chinese Employees Spill The Beans On Their Bosses

Sesupo Rantsimako
Correspondent | Monday March 8, 2010 00:00

In their last visit in 2009, the inspectors are said to have been on a mission to find out how employees were treated by their employers

'We were telling them about our work as well as wages. It looks like the inspection was only done in the Chinese shops because that is where we have more complaints about ill-treatment of workers,' an employee remarked.

In an interview with The Monitor, a number of employees revealed that they told the inspectors that things have not changed.

Bashful Kedibonye Diboni, 23, who works as a parcel counter attendant at Wins Lin Brothers, said that she starts work at 7.00 am and knocks off at 6.30 pm but she cannot make ends meet with her take-home pay at the end of the month.

She refused to reveal her monthly wage though she insisted it was just too little. According to The Monitor investigations, Chinese shop assistants are paid between P500 and P750.

'When we are hired there is no specific job we are hired to do because sometimes I work inside the shop.

Everyday we offload the stock from the big trucks but we are not paid for that,' Diboni said. She added that they worked during weekends even though there is no overtime and if they complain they get fired.

A shop assistant, who declined to be identified and works at nearby Jack Chen, said even though the labour officers came for inspection last year there is no change because they still work from as early as 6.30am until 6pm. She said that there is no lunchtime.

'These Chinese make a lot of money. Sometimes they can make around P100, 000 per day but as for us, we get paid P500,' said the woman who is in her late 20s.

Mpho Mphela, 19, who is also an assistant at another Jack Chen outlet, said that when she was hired in December last year, she was promised P750 as her monthly pay, but she has been getting P500 instead.

She said she is afraid to complain because she will be fired.

Mphela further alleged that their shop can make around P50, 000 per day even though they are paid as little as P500.

Acting regional labour officer, Dimpoetse Keolefhile would not discuss details of their inspection of the Chinese shops.

'There was such a visit. I do not have its report on my desk yet. The person who prepared it is not in either. But you must get assistance from our public relations office in Gaborone,' she said.

She however could not deny that Chinese shopkeepers were taken to task about their treatment of employees.

Acting assistant manager communication at the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, Letso Mpho submitted a response to our questionnaire.

The Monitor: What will be the benefit of the inspections?

Letso Mpho: The benefit of these inspections is to see if business operators are complying with the labour legislation. It is a requirement of the laws of Botswana for businesses to comply with legislation and penalties are imposed in the event of non-compliance.

TM: Has there been any legal action taken against shop owners who violate Botswana labour laws?

LM: Yes, indeed. In this instance four businesses were charged with the following offences:

*Failure to insure employees;*Employing non-citizens without relevant work permits;* Working without work permits; and*Underpayment of employees.

TM: Is there going to be a follow-up inspection and if so, when?

LM: We usually follow up on our inspections unexpectedly by business operators so as to get a true picture of what is really happening on the ground. However, it is not in the interest of the service to share with you the schedule for these inspections.