TNMC workers in the dark about salary arrangements

Employees of Tati Nickel Mining Company (TNMC), a subsidiary of BCL mine, which together with its parent company were recently placed under liquidation by the government, are currently in the dark about their salary arrangements.

This surfaced after they were informed recently that the mine will stop operations as their mother company was under liquidation. Samson Guma Moyo, who is the Parliamentary Accounts Committee chairperson revealed that all employees would remain employees of TNMC until the liquidation process has been finalised. However, he failed to articulate more on the salary arrangements, a matter that is giving many employees sleepless nights.

One employee who preferred anonymity revealed that most junior officers depended on overtime and shift allowances that augment their basic salaries. The employees, he said, are in the dark as to whether or not they will be paid their monthly salaries without the other attached allowances. “We have been informed by management but as to how much we will be earning whilst waiting for the liquidation process to be finalised was not pronounced and this is making us uncomfortable.

We have bank loans with various banks and if they don’t pay as our overtime and shift allowances, we will starve and banks will start coming after us,” said the worried employee. When reached for comment about the new developments at Tati Nickel Mine in Francistown, the President of Botswana Mine Workers Union Jack Tlhagale explained that although government has announced the liquidation of both BCL and TNMC, they have not explained fully as to how employees who will be at home are going to be paid.

“As I am speaking to you, I am in Selibe Phikwe where I am currently awaiting the arrival of vice president Mokgweetsi Masisi whom I expect will explain in detail the future of both mines and how employees are going to be paid, more especially those who augmented their salaries with attached allowances including shift and overtime allowance.  Apart from salaries, there are benefits company employees have been enjoying and we are yet to be told as to what will happen next,” Tlhagale said.