Efforts by Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) to compel the company to pay the employees retrenchment packages were unsuccessful at the Industrial Court on Thursday. BMWU filed an urgent application to the court seeking an interdiction and a restraining order to compel the company not to close down the unit saying proper procedures were not followed. BMWU requested the court to among others, direct and order that the company take reasonable steps to ensure that due processes are followed in the implementation of separation of exit packages; direct and order that no selective transfers are undertaken by the company; direct and order that conditions of service benefits like accumulated leave, long service award and 13th cheque shall not be used in place of minimum separation pay. Through lawyer, Hubert Assey, the union argued that the employees were not notified of the closure and only learned about it last Tuesday.
However, the company's attorney, Sipho Ziga dismissed the arguments saying that the employees were given notice of possible retrenchment and that there was enough consultation between the parties. He said that BMWU had raised contradicting evidence in the application and the affidavits.
