News

Potlako Bogatsu BG reporter | Friday January 20, 2023 12:44

Retrenched BTC workers fight back

BOOTED OUT: Kewetse Busumane was kicked out the telecommunications company after he spoke to the media about the retrenchments they felt were unfairly made
 
BOOTED OUT: Kewetse Busumane was kicked out the telecommunications company after he spoke to the media about the retrenchments they felt were unfairly made

The first mediation process between Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) and workers that were laid off late last year broke down after representatives of BTC felt threatened by the disgruntled former employees.

Botswana Telecommunications Employees Union representative, Ogone Lesole explained during their demonstration this week at the Labour Offices that a couple of factors did not go as they had hoped.

Lesole noted that the BTC representatives said they felt threatened because when they were entering the offices they were yelled at and threatened. He noted that because of this, they are not ready in their minds to continue with mediation.

Lesole said that they also indicated that they would like the venue of the meeting to change for reasons aforementioned. While still discussing these issues, the police were called into the meeting as the BTC representatives were not feeling safe.

President of Botswana Telecommunications Employees Union (BOTEU), Kewetse Busumane told Botswana Guardian that they have two main issues of concern with BTC in how they handled the restructuring of the company.

BOTEU feels that BTC did not consult with them properly when dealing with issues of restructuring and the unilateral implementation of issues that affected the livelihoods of those affected by the restructuring.

Busumane was recently fired from work for lobbying on behalf of the disgruntled former employees. Therefore, he may not be around to see justice being served for those who have been mistreated by the organisation.

Some of the retrenched workers who went to the Labour office in Gaborone explained that they have given all their lives to the institution only to be booted out as if they are trash.

While they do not have the backing of powerful lawyers like their former employer, the retrenched workers say God will avenge them for the way the BTC management treated them.

BTC retrenched 196 staff members late last year as a part of the organisation’s resource optimisation, which was initiated to steer BTC to greater heights.

BTC Managing Director Anthony Masunga has stated that the retrenchment cost P67 million. However, retrenched workers feel that they only got to take home "peanuts" even though the MD made it sound as if the retrenchment exercise sucked money out of the entity.

Cases of unfair dismissal of some staff members are also expected to be held at the Labour Offices next Tuesday, while the mediation between retrenched workers and BTC will take place next Thursday.