Botswana’s Miners’ Union Fights Repressive Companies, BCL LionOre and Debswana

Over the past two years, ICEM affiliate Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) has faced obstacles that would have crushed any normal union. The National Executive of the union has witnessed two mining companies, Debswana and BCL, now an enterprise of global mining house LionOre, subvert the union’s national leadership, instigate a wildcat strike (BCL) in order to sack workers, withhold union fees from BMWU, and now start a rival, yellow union. But the BMWU hasn’t flinched, and has met every onslaught with a legal and dignified response to the overt divide-and-conquer tactics of the two companies.

On 3 November, the BMWU General Council met in session and reaffirmed the union’s role as the Mineworkers’ Union of Botswana. It also set in motion resolutions passed from the 2004 Congress, national union initiatives that had been stalled by the companies’ conduct, and followed through on a restructuring plan that gives BMWU four regions. However, interference from both Debswana, a joint diamond-mining company between DeBeers and the government of Botswana, and BCL continues. Debswana is actively pushing members into a rival union, and strong evidence exists that management is funding such a union.

“The Human Resources Department works around the clock to divert our members,” said BMWU General Secretary Jack Tlhagale. He said Debswana took a full year, until September 2006, to recognise the legitimate branch committee from Orapa, a major mining area of Debswana, and has withheld union fees due the BMWU. Tlhagale also said the world’s largest diamond-mining enterprise has unilaterally taken union dues money and used it for fees owed in an appellate court case the BMWU lost in April 2004.

Separately, the BMWU is still seeking justice for 461 workers fired in August 2004 when they went on strike, but the case is consistently being delayed in an Industrial Court. BMWU is convinced that the court is unduly influenced by the government and DeBeers in the matter.

BCL, a copper and nickel mining operation bought by LionOre only in 2005, has entered into an illegal collective agreement with dissidents inside the Selebi-Phikwe branch of BMWU, dissidents who have been jailed for failing to comply with multiple court orders to turn dues monies over to the national union. BCL has financially supported the jailed group of workers, and has refused to recognise a duly-elected Selebi-Phikwe branch committee that replaced the one consisting of some of the jailed workers. That recognition case is scheduled to be heard in Industrial Court on 20 November. Perhaps BCL’s biggest offence is that management led machine workers and spannermen into a non-sanctioned strike in order to sack them. Some 181 workers were fired after BCL management told them they have no union to represent them. “The general manager did this deliberately as a trap to eliminate them,” said Tlhagale. “He was fully aware that a legitimate union committee was in place, but he said they have no union because the union he recognises is in prison.” The BMWU’s National Executive Committee will continue to receive the support, guidance, and solidarity of ICEM and its affiliates as it continues it’s legal and moral course for justice and a dignity for all Botswana’s miners.