Debswana, Unions Reach Agreement

Diamond miner Debswana and the Botswana Workers Union have agreed to apply the retrenchment agreement related to the temporary closure of the Damtshaa diamond mine and Orapa No 2 plant and the reduction at Jwaneng, Orapa and Letlhkane diamond mines.

The sides agreed to take “all reasonable and practical steps to avoid” laying-off the 570 workers affected by the shutdowns, the sides said in a joint announcement on Tuesday.

The move is an attempt “to mitigate the impact of the global economic crisis on employees affected by the suspension of operations” at the mines, they added.

Debswana, a joint venture between Botswana’s government and De Beers, has scaled back operations in response to the sharp fall in rough diamond prices and the decline in demand for the goods.