The Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has completed its retrenchment exercise resulting in 52 employees being shown the door last week. A hundred and two people had applied to part-ways with the corporation.
On the other hand, the Botswana Power Corporation Workers Union felt betrayed by the employer over how the retrenchment was conducted.
BPC is expected to spend about P30 million to pay 52 employees of Morupule A that were retrenched last week on Friday.
The General Secretary of the Botswana Power Corporation Workers Union, Bahithetswe Lentswe, said the union has been betrayed by the employer because a number of issues had not been honoured.
He revealed that it has come to the union’s attention that about 38 employees were retrenched without proper process.
“This is uncalled for,” he said.
He explained that what hurts the most is the fact that those employees affected by the exercise were given only seven days to appeal and already the days have lapsed because the letters came very late, making it very difficult for some to appeal.
He added that the union assisted about four to protest their retrenchment several employees have also submitted their appeals without the assistance of the union, which he said they welcomed.
“At this point, I wouldn’t know the exact number of those who have already tendered their appeals except the four that the union has assisted to lodge their protest,” said Lentswe.
Meanwhile, BPC spokesperson, Spencer Moreri, confirmed the retrenchment.
He said this financial year, the corporation does not anticipate any retrenchment exercise to take place but if need be that may happen.
Moreri said the process of retrenchment at Morupule A went smoothly.
When responding to the grievances raised by the union, Moreri replied said: “The BPC does not discuss grievances in the media and the union knows how to channel its complaints.”
However, a staff circular dated 14 May 20113, which was passed to The Telegraph states that “Management would like to inform all the employees that the implementation of the Morupule A care maintenance program is continuing following staff circular number 6 of 2013; management is pleased to announce that conclusive agreement has been entered in by both the BPC and workers union and the middle management staff union.
The letter states that employees of Morupule A were invited to apply for voluntary separation as per retrenchment and redundancy policy.
The letter further explained that the applications were submitted to an assessment panel that reviewed the applications on the basis of the application request in which the panel processed both the voluntary and involuntary that concluded that 52 employees would exit the corporation.
The circular stated that an appeal panel structure has been put in-place and will deal with appeals that may arise.
