Hotel strike looming

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Tuesday November 16, 2010 00:00

The employees, through their union, Botswana Hotel Travel and Tourism Workers Union have told Mmegi that wage negotiations between the two parties have reached a deadlock.

Executive officer of the union, Nicholas Motiki revealed that this week they wrote to the commissioner of labour to inform her of their intention to go on industrial action, 'Which is in line with the Memorandum of Agreement signed by the two parties (union and Cresta Marakanelo), which is also in line with the Trade Dispute Act,' he said.

Motiki also revealed that the strike will be carried out in stages and dates to be announced soon.

In a previous interview, Motiki had said they were demanding a 25 percent wage hike. Reasons cited for this demand are that members are straddled with high tariffs and a hike in accommodation rentals in Gaborone.

'There are high food prices and the percentage will allow members to afford basic food commodities. The current food prices leave members without even a mere one percent of their salary to take home...fuel (paraffin) is expensive, more so that most of our members use paraffin, any increase in fuel, which is highly likely will worsen workers conditions and the only answer is a 25 percent increase,' he says.

'We are meeting (the two parties) next week Thursday to sort out modalities of the strike,' he said.  

When contacted for comment, Cresta Management official Segomotso Banda said because of the sensitivity of the matter, the managing director, Makhaya is the only one who could respond. However efforts to reach him were futile as he said he could not talk on the phone as he was in a bank.