Union Anger at Debswana Plan to Shed 1,000 Jobs
May 18, 25
(IDEX Online) - Debswana, the 50/50 joint venture between De Beers and the Botswana government, is reportedly planning to lay off over 1,000 workers, as the global slump in demand for diamonds persists.
The Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) expressed "grave concern" over the proposed move, which was revealed by President Duma Boko during an address to civil servants.
The BMWU said it has not been consulted ahead of the announcement. Mbiganyi Gaekgotswe, the union's general secretary, described the move as "highly inappropriate and deeply concerning".
It follows the company's approval in February of 500 applications for voluntary separations among its workforce of around 5,000.
The Botswana government issued a statement on 16 May saying President Boko's acknowledgement of the retrenchment plan reflected his commitment to transparency.
It said: "The President's statement does not pre-empt negotiations but rather sets a clear framework for constructive engagement, urging all parties to prioritize sustainable resolutions that safeguard both livelihoods and Botswana's long-term economic resilience."
The statement made no mention of the number of possible job losses, but the BMWU put the figure at over 1,000.
In a statement the union said: "It is deeply concerning that such information would be made public through a political platform before being properly tabled and finalized through the Joint Negotiation and Consultation Committee (JNCC), the agreed process between the Union and Debswana."
Botswana accounts for around 70 per cent of all De Beers' diamond production, and diamonds account for around 80 per cent of Botswana's export revenue.
But Debswana has struggled during the ongoing downturn, revising down its 2025 production target from 18m carats to 15m carats and putting two facilities on care and maintenance.
We have approached Debswana for comment.