FRANCISTOWN: The country's sole gold miner Galane Gold will go on with its retrenchment exercise despite serious objections from the employees and their union.Galane Gold has stated that it intends to shed some jobs within its mining and geology department soon as it seeks to steer the mine to profitability and curtail skyrocketing operating costs. The mine is of the view that outsourcing mining services is more cost effective.Mmegi can safely reveal that some of the 90 miners who will be affected by the retrenchment were issued with letters notifying them of their retrenchment last week Friday. Mmegi can also reveal that by this week Friday all employees who will be affected by the retrenchment would have received letters notifying them about the layoff.
The mine's intention to go on with retrenchments was also communicated to the Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) Galane Gold branch on March 5 in a lengthy consultative meeting.BMWU Galane Gold branch secretary Setlalekgosi Kooreme confirmed the meeting in an interview yesterday.In the said meeting the mine's management reportedly told the union members that is has done enough consultation and was continuing with retrenchments."Their intention is to have given our members final letters regarding their retrenchment anytime from March 7," reads part of a letter from the union leadership to the employees signed by Kooreme, dated March 6.
