'DK' Halts 'Mother Of All Strikes'

GREG KELEBONYE
Staff Writer | Monday September 20, 2010 00:00

 

Pelotshweu Baeng, an official of BOFEPUSO and BLLAWU president told The Monitor on Sunday that the strike would no longer go on as government has now made an undertaking to pay salary arrears owed to the workers. The strike was averted after the intervention of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) chairman, Daniel 'DK' Kwelagobe. 'I can confirm to you that government, together with the leadership of the BDP in Rre Kwelagobe met with delegates from BOFEPUSO on Saturday and resolved the impasse,' Baeng said. He explained that the agreement is that government will pay the P2 billion salary arrears at the end of next month. 'This is because salaries for this month have already been posted, and the nearest time is October,' he said. He asserted that Kwelagobe mediated in his capacity as BDP chairman.

'He did not come in as an elder or Member of Parliament but as BDP chairman. The BDP are surely aware of the repercussions of such a strike,' Baeng explained. He said that as a result of the new development, they now advise their members not to strike. 'We will be going on national television and  radio to advise our members about the latest developments,' he said.

Attempts to get a comment from Kwelagobe and the Director of Public Service Management (DPSM, Festinah Bakwena proved futile. Kwelagobe's phone was off and the DPSM was not answering her phone.