TAWU vice president Edward Tswaipe said the dispute was caused by the fact that management was not responding to TAWU's application.He said after several mediation meetings management finally granted unconditional recognition without disputing any employees."After granting of recognition in December 2012, the union wrote to management proposing a meeting to discuss, among other things a draft recognition agreement."He alleged that management did not respond to the letter. After the snub, in late January/early February 2013, the union reported a case of denial of fundamental rights.
A meeting to review the case was convened with the intervention of the Permanent Secretary Ikotlhaeng Bagopi and Commissioner of Labour, Rose Sennanyana. "The executive director did not turn up for mediation and instead sent two staff members who had no mandate or authority. When contacted on his cellphone, the executive director promised mediator to write a letter the same day (on a Wednesday) or the next day responding to union's proposal. But BAC failed to write the letter."The vice president said five days later TAWU wrote to labour advising that the mediation had failed and that the respondent had no interest in the process. Repeated attempts to contact the executive director Michael Lesolle for comment proved futile as he was constantly in meetings.
