The delegation failed to meet Khama, or the Ministers of Labour and Home Affairs; and Minerals, Energy and Water Resources; Peter Siele and Ponatshego Kedikilwe respectively. A member of the delegation Sam Moesi, told union branch members at a meeting to give them feedback that they could not meet the President because he is still touring the country. He said they will find a convenient time to meet him. Union members resolved to seek the President's intervention during a meeting last week when they rejected a proposed 15 percent salary increase from the BCL mine. Moesi told them that they had requested the mine to show the union the list of employees whose salaries were reviewed last year but in vain.Another BMWU official Bob Malele told members that the union and the mine management have not yet signed the joint dispute statement. He said they are mostly concerned that they do not have pension and salary reviews. This is despite the fact that the mine's board of directors informed them that there must be a salary review.
There was drama when mine employees differed whether to accept the 15% or to continue with the struggle for improved pay. Misunderstandings ensued until the committee resorted to voting to resolve the issue. Majority were of the opinion that the struggle must continue. Some of the union members left the meeting without participating in the vote.Some members expressed concern that some people who attended the meeting were not fully paid up members. They said such members attended the meeting to discourage their efforts. They suggested that there be membership cards that should be used as gate passes into the union meetings.
