The Diamond Polishers and Uncomfortable Realities

What did you make of it, I wonder? I refer of course, to the seemingly routine report that diamond polishers here will be required to work longer hours for many more days presumably for the same rate of pay and regardless of their signed terms of employment.

Minister Mokaila explained (Mmegi 24.11.15) that he had appointed a Task Force to recommend ways and means by which our polishers could better compete with their counter parts in China and India where costs are lower and productivity higher.

It must, from the onset, have appeared like a very tough ask. Note for instance that our polishers work for an average of 212 days a year. Polishers in both China and India work a six-day week. If they did so for all the 52 weeks of the year they would be putting in a 312 working day year.

Editor's Comment
UDC's 100 Days: Please deliver your promises!

We duly congratulate them to have ousted the long ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) from power. Prior to taking power from the BDP, the coalition had made several election promises that are credited for influencing change and swaying the people to vote in its favour.The party had made an undertaking, which its leader and President Duma Boko consistently bellowed in his campaign trail. These undertakings were promises that Batswana would be...

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