Over 2,000 could lose govt jobs

NICHOLAS MOKWENA Correspondent

The Department of Geological Survey (DGS) is expected to be turned into a parastatal to be known as Botswana Geosciences' Institute (BGI)). The ministry is expected to end up with only 800 specialist employees. "We will only have employees with scarce skills. We currently have 1,600 employees. As at the end of May 2012, we will relieve some of the employees of their duties through the early exit policy. The Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) has assumed the water supply duty and even though we are aware of the water problem, we believe it will be restored within the next two to three years. The Department of Water Affairs is to be realigned to its new mandate of policy and programme development following the hiving-off of water supply component to WUC", Paya told the members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi on Wednesday.

Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) Secretary General Topias Marenga said discussions regarding Early Exit Policy started as early as 2000. He said at that time there were only staff associations. "The negotiations started in May 2003 and issues like notice pay, separation pay and gratuity and how the payment should be done are being discussed. In 2005, the government wanted to improve the service in the water sector and felt that this could only be done when most of the work is given to the WUC.

"Early exit was the last option as there was nowhere the affected employees could be redeployed. Negotiations have so far been running smoothly. We started off with the water sector then preceded to the support staff. We are currently on the verge of dealing with staff from the Department of Geological Survey, which is also going through a restructuring process. Currently as concerned unions, we do not have any complaint," Marenga stated.

He said the early exit is being done both voluntarily and involuntarily but that the good thing about voluntary exit is that the employee will get a better package. Marenga stated that the unions are represented in the assessment board which scrutinises who should benefit from the policy.

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Over 2,000 could lose govt jobs