Seabelo Group faces P2.5 million law suit

TSHIAMO TABANE

Botswana Transport Workers Union (BOTRAWU) is preparing to drag Botswana transport operator and road freight logistics company, Seabelo Group to court for failure to pay the P2.5 million it owes to its employees.
BOTRAWU Secretary General Christopher Mogomotsi confirmed in an interview last week that their union intends to approach the High Court and compel the Group to pay around 24 employees who worked during rest periods without any compensation as per labor laws.
BOTRAWU has indicated that between 1998 and 2012 Seabelo Group forced employees to work during rest days through an employment contract which required the workers to work from Monday to Saturday. “The said requirement to work 6 days in a week is contrary to the paragraph of Regulations of Wages (Garage, Motor Trade and Road Transport) order which prescribes that the working week for employees in the garage, motor trade and road transport industry to be 5 days. In violation of paragraph 4, Seabelo Group made the workers to work for 6 day a week but neither paid them for working for extra day during the week nor granted them days off in lieu of working during rest periods,” reads BOTRAWU writ of court summons.
BOTRAWU has indicated that Seabelo does not dispute that by requiring employees to work for 6 days as provided for in their contracts of employment directly violated the provisions of regulations of wage order.  “After conceding that the employment contracts were illegal, Seabelo Group has failed to pay the employees as required by Employment Act.,” said the union.
Seabelo Group owner Seabelo Tlhaselo could not comment on the issue as his personal assistants indicated that he was busy and could not talk to media.