News / Africa
Botswana strikers to re-apply for jobs
07 Jun 2011 at 13:38hrs | Views
Gaborone - Botswana will allow more than 1 400 health workers to re-apply for their jobs after they were sacked for ignoring a court order to end a strike, an official said on Tuesday.
But the government will give no guarantee that they will be re-hired, said Eric Molale, secretary to President Ian Khama, further enraging unions for public workers who went on strike seven weeks ago.
"All employees in essential services who have been dismissed for taking part in the strike, declared by the Industrial Court as illegal and unprotected, are eligible to re-apply with immediate effect," he said.
Any decision on rehiring the workers - including doctors, nurses and cleaning staff - will depend on vacancies available and the interest of the public service, he said.
More than 90 000 public workers went on strike on April 18 to demand a 16% wage hike, causing schools to close and leaving health facilities on skeletal staffing.
They have accepted the government's offer of a 3% raise but insist that it should be applied in a pyramid form that would give the lowest-paid workers the biggest increase.
Government has rejected the demand and said the increase would be applied across the board from September 01.
"The strike continues because there are some outstanding issues which we haven't agreed on with the employer," said unions spokesman Goretetse Kekgonegile.
Unions say public service workers have not received a salary increase in three years, but government argues that it has no money for big raises. The International Monetary Fund has urged Botswana to rein in its wage bill.
Botswana, the world's top diamond producer, was hard hit by the global economic crisis which resulted in a sharp decline of sales. The economy shrank by 4.9% in 2009 but bounced back with 7.2% growth in 2010.
Government employees complain their buying power is shrinking in the face of inflation that hit 8.2% in April.
But the government will give no guarantee that they will be re-hired, said Eric Molale, secretary to President Ian Khama, further enraging unions for public workers who went on strike seven weeks ago.
"All employees in essential services who have been dismissed for taking part in the strike, declared by the Industrial Court as illegal and unprotected, are eligible to re-apply with immediate effect," he said.
Any decision on rehiring the workers - including doctors, nurses and cleaning staff - will depend on vacancies available and the interest of the public service, he said.
More than 90 000 public workers went on strike on April 18 to demand a 16% wage hike, causing schools to close and leaving health facilities on skeletal staffing.
They have accepted the government's offer of a 3% raise but insist that it should be applied in a pyramid form that would give the lowest-paid workers the biggest increase.
Government has rejected the demand and said the increase would be applied across the board from September 01.
"The strike continues because there are some outstanding issues which we haven't agreed on with the employer," said unions spokesman Goretetse Kekgonegile.
Unions say public service workers have not received a salary increase in three years, but government argues that it has no money for big raises. The International Monetary Fund has urged Botswana to rein in its wage bill.
Botswana, the world's top diamond producer, was hard hit by the global economic crisis which resulted in a sharp decline of sales. The economy shrank by 4.9% in 2009 but bounced back with 7.2% growth in 2010.
Government employees complain their buying power is shrinking in the face of inflation that hit 8.2% in April.
Source - AFP
