Members of the Botswana Financial Institutions and Allied Workers Union (BOFIAWU) have voiced growing frustration over what they describe as persistent labour violations at their workplace, Bank of Baroda Botswana. The employees allege a pattern of non-compliance with labour standards they deem far below industry expectations.
According to union members, the violations are disrupting their financial stability and causing unnecessary strain on their livelihoods. On anonymity, the workers also point to concerns about low wages that have remained stagnant despite rising inflation and the bank’s continued operations in the country. They argue that the current remuneration structure does not reflect the demands of their roles or the financial sector’s competitive environment.
It is alleged that there are some senior management positions are not localized such as Head of Risk, the position at Central Processing Unit, the position of Credit Monitoring is held by an expatriate which has been disguised as having an understudy, work permitted was rejected and teller promoted as forex is being falsely used as an understudy.
In their plea for better working conditions, the union members are suggesting to Bank of Baroda to propose the introduction of housing and transportation allowances. A monthly housing allowance of P2500 and transportation allowance of P1000 to assist employees in meeting their daily expenses and improving their overall quality of life where it is nonexistent at the moment, this despite departments being mandated to carry duties outside the premises as marketing department.
“Furthermore, it is imperative that we address the issue of funeral cover for employees. In light of recent tragic events involving the loss of colleagues, I suggest implementing a funeral cover of P50000 to provide financial support to grieving families during difficult times”, said on member on anonymity.
Other members contacted said, “it is essential to recognize the importance of a proper lunch hour. I propose increasing the lunch allowance from P35 to P100 to ensure that employees have adequate resources to nourish themselves during the workday.
In addition to these proposals, I recommend increasing the loan multiple to 12 months’ salary and extending the tenure to 60 months. This adjustment will provide employees with greater flexibility and support in managing their financial obligations”
“The bank has been in the country for 24 years yet they pay 50% medical cover for employees but the rest in the Industry are at 100% cover.
they also don’t have defined job descriptions, employees perform any duties. The bank tellers are earning as little as P3800 while the industry is above P10000”, said another member.
Meanwhile BOFIAWU leadership has confirmed receipt of the grievances. The union’s chairman Mills Tlhoro has acknowledged being fully aware of the issues and stated that the matter is receiving urgent attention. He emphasized that the union remains committed to ensuring that workers’ rights are protected and that Bank of Baroda is held accountable to labour regulations and fair-practice standards.
“We have had back and forth with management regarding issues as attached raised. The bank’s management is not cooperating. We have been imploring Bank Of Baroda Management for years to furnish us with localisation policy to this day we have not received it. This happens whilst 100% of Bank management are held by expatriates, there has never been any local managers at this bank. We therefore call on the Central Bank as the regulator and the Commissioner of Labour and social Security to investigate and intervene to ensure Bank Of Baroda is compliant with local policies”, said Tlhoro.
As tensions rise, both employees and union leaders await concrete action from Bank of Baroda, urging the institution to prioritise compliance and uphold its responsibility to the workforce that sustains its operations.
