Resolve wage dispute : Lesotho Times
Resolve wage dispute
6 Sep 2012 By Editorial
Filed Under: Comment • Local News • News	TEXTILE workers have threatened to go on strike over wages.
They want the government to review the minimum wage from M900 to M1 500.
This, they argue, is a compromise because they initially wanted M2 020.
Their demands are certainly justified. The prices of basic commodities have steadily increased over the past 12 months.
There has also been a spike in rent, fuel and education costs.
Surely an increase of just below M70 on their salaries won’t make much difference.
There is no doubt that given the price increases over the past 12 months most textile workers are actually worse off than they were last year.
It is obvious that almost all textile workers are not coping with these increases.
In fact, they have never coped because their salaries have always been low. They have always lived from hand-to-mouth.
It is therefore clear that they certainly need better salaries.
But the problem is that their employers have already said they cannot afford to pay M1 500.
When there is a wage dispute between the employer and employee the temptation is to blame the employer for being tightfisted.
We can see that the same is about to happen in the deadlock in the textile industry. There will probably be a strike and fingers will be pointed at the employers for being stingy.
The problem with this approach is that it does not consider the challenges that employers are facing.
The textile industry in Lesotho is already in dire straits.
The global financial crisis has reduced orders from the United States, the biggest market for Lesotho’s textile products.
Volumes have been low and margins thin.
Fabric prices have galloped while the prices buyers demand have remained largely unchanged.
In the textile industry the buyers normally decide what price they want to pay.
If the textile firms in Lesotho cannot do the job at the required price, the buyers will take their contracts to Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and other Asian countries.
It is important to note that Lesotho is already considered an expensive place in which to operate a textile factory.
In Bangladesh, for instance, the minimum wage in the textile industry is M361 (US$43).
In Cambodia the minimum wage is M512 (US$61) while in China it is pegged at around M840 (US$100).
The recent increase puts Lesotho’s minimum wage at M900 (US$104).
If the unions are granted their wish the lowest paid textile worker in this country will earn M1 500 (US$175).
That will be good for the workers but disastrous for the textile firms which are already under pressure.
Many textile firms are likely to pack their bags and move to cheaper countries.
What makes Lesotho’s situation particularly worse is that apart from having lower labour costs most Asian countries also offer huge incentives to investors in the textile industry.
They have the financial muscle that little Lesotho lacks.
All these mean that the future of the textile industry in Lesotho is bleak. Recent trends indicate that there is steady disinvestment in the textile sector.
There has not been a major investor in the textile industry over the past five years. Instead, investors have been fleeing Lesotho.
At its peak in 2000 the textile sector employed just over 42 000 people but now that number has come down to around 35 000.
Managers in the sector say more jobs are likely to be shed in the next few months unless orders from the US improve.
But as the US’ economic recovery remains sluggish it is highly unlikely that there will be an avalanche of orders to Lesotho anytime soon.
The labour unions must therefore be careful what they ask for.
They might arm-twist the employers to pay M1 500 but then see more of their members being empted onto the streets.
Granted the current wages in the sector are low but any improvements must take into account other dynamics.
There is a difference between what the employees believe their sweat is worth and what the employers can afford.
To have jobs you need employers. Employers are scarce.
The unions might succeed in bullying employers into submitting to their demands but they might not be prepared for the backlash when employers start leaving Lesotho in droves.
They say they have already compromised but they might have to swallow their pride if they want their people to remain in jobs.
Textile workers haba fuoe M1500 eo ba e hlokang. M900 e lekane feela ho reka lijo. Rent, transport, school fees and so on ke mathata feela
This modern day slavery must stop in Lesotho. These slaves should be given at least M2020 per month.
Comment by ABBITRATOR on 6 September 2012:
kindly be informed that we can not bare it anymore, there is still live without them chinese. yes the jobs might be at stake, but slavey is Zero tolerance… 2ndly, please compare lesotho with the african countries, e.g. Kenya, Swaziland and others where the industry is growing.. for example, a machine operator in a woven industry are earning atleast US$204pa. as a learning student in a developing country, i was expecting media to play a positive role for our better future.. think we cant compare lesotho with the asian countries.
Comment by Silent on 6 September 2012:
CHE BONYANE MEPUTSO EA BATHO BA LIFEME E NE T’SOANETSE E EMPE E BE M2500.00 BOPHELOO BO THATA BO BOIMA LE EONA ENTSE LE NYANE HANTLE M3500.00 BONYANE E NE TLA BA BETERE.
NTATE MOSISILI KE EA U LEBOHELA MOFOKENG E SE KA U KA TSOELA RURI LIPOLOTIKING U ENTSE MOO U ETSENG. HOJA UNTSO BUSA NTHO TSENA LINE LI TLO U BAKELA LERATA E KE KE UENA EA SA RATENG HA BASEBETSI BA LIFEME BA SEBETSANG KA THATA LE BOPHELO BO LE TURU BA PATALOA HANTLE. PUSO E THATA HAESALE NTHO HOTHOE KE RECESSION HA SE LESOTHO FEELA HO THATA LE MESEBETSI HA E EO EMPA O NO BONA BATHO BA BANG BA BATLA HO JARISA BA BANG BOTHATA BA TLHOKEHO EA MESEBETSI ENTSE LE LERATA LE NAHENG TSA BOHAISANE TSE KANG BO RSA KA TLHOKEHO EA MESEBETSI AMERICA LE BO EUROPE. NTATE KE PHETA HAPE PUSO E THATTA HOBANE RONA RE TLA LULA FEELA RE U QOSA KA HORE LE HORE KE HONA RE KA BONANG HA RE SE RE LE LITULONG HORE HO BUA HA HO T’SOANE LE HO ETSA ETSOE HO KHOTSOFATSA MOTHO HO THATA-THATA. KE IPOTSA HORE NA LIFEME HA LI KA TSAMAEA RE SENTSE RE LLA HAKANA KA THLOKEHO EA MESEBETSI HO TLA ETSAHALANG?? LE TENG RURI M1500.00 HA E PHELISE MOTHO KERE LE M3000.00 HA SE LETHO!!!PHOMOLA MOFOKENG U SEBELITSE!!! PUSO EA SETLAMO KE E KOPELA MAHLOHONOLO LE BOHLALE HORE BA TLE BA PHEME MATHATA LE BONA.
Comment by Matsepo on 6 September 2012:
And the companies are much worse of than the individual, be very carefull, strike and you WILL loose your job, the companies are meerly surviving, hoping for better trading conditions in the next 2-3 years.
@ABBITRATOR US$204pa.WHEN I MULTIPLY THIS BY M8 IT GIVES ME ONLY M1600/ANUM I AM SORRY IF I AM WRONG.SO HOW MUCH PER MONTH M120. I SAID SORRY IF I AM WRONG
re kopa bo-’me le bo-ntate ba sebetsang lifemeng bapataloe chelete e kalo ka 2020 tje ka haba e batla. ke tenne kea likhethong ho bane ke batla liphetoho. ke arata hobane last year haré ne re entse mokoloko oa 2020 ba bang ba baetapele ba ‘musong hona joale bane ba re t’sehetsa joale mathata a kae, sekolo fees ke bokae ha eka sona sa increase feela meputso ha nyolohe, lijo tsona and transport. muso oa kopanelo ke na lipakeng le tlohelle ho etsa li workshop tse se nang molemo e le hoja chelete feela mona. ha ntle phapano ea lona le bale ke efe
Ke kopa batho ba tsebang/ithutileng economics bare joetse hore na moruo o ka ameha joang maemong ana a mararo:
1. Lifeme li hirile batho ba bangata ba pataloa hanyane e.g M1000
2. Lifeme li hirile batho ba banyane ba pataloa haholo/holekana e.g M2500
3. Lifeme lile siko ho hang
kea kholoa likarabo li tla felisa khang ena ea batho ba lifeme le meputso. lipolotiki tsona re se re ithutile hore ha hona moo li amanang teng le meputso ea basebetsi ba lifeme.
Bahesong le buile lehaleka lathola.Mongoli oa lidaba tsena ekare orekuoe ke machina,Ha o banna!bana baborona bathole chelete e nyane tje ebe rere ha ba nyolelloa machina atla baleha?GO “TO HELL MAN WITH U CHINES”ha re shebe RSA those people a r earning compare to here in our country.Bangladesh ke makomonisi there is no something called freedom there, again u a nt telling us true the lowest paid firm worker there is M1,052, not M361 as u a r saying motho ea o joetsitseng ha bue nnete.
Che ke a hlokomela na lebaka ke lefe baheso-ha batho ba lifeme ba ka pataloa M2,020 joale o ka lebella hore moqolotsi oa lidaba e na a pataloe bokae? because now they getting tht 2,020.Meaning o tla utloa eka mosebetsi oahae ha o bohlokoa. ha re tlohelleng lefufa hleng baheso let us supoort those firm workers for what they want.
Comment by maoto on 6 September 2012:
ele hore motho a pataloang M900.00 a hirile motho a salang lengoana a mopatala M400 o saloa ke M500 rente e nyolohile,lijo liaparo transport. hele hona hona hona ke ho phoqoa
sheba uena SILENT ntatao Mosisidi ke ena ea sentseng machaena ana ho tloha khale, u nahana hore hare tsebe hore machaena ane afa batho baa chelete enyane hobane ba ne ba e shera le lona lerolamo leo lahao leo eneng ele tonakholo,
Comment by litaba on 6 September 2012:
@Lekhoara,i support ur idea tt those three factors shud be considered n decide whc of de 3 is de best option for Lesotho.Prior to de elections politicians promised the textile employees salary incriments as if thy knew tt money will come,im not excluding the then gvt and the opposition parties who r now de gvt bz all of them promised salary incriments.fortunately,Mosisili u ne a re ho Lekhoakhoa u sa mo fa lesokoana,hare bone Lekhoakhoa.
nna kere bo ralifeme ba sa eketseng chelete ba tsamae hobane ba se ba tloaelitsoe ho chita basotho ke former tk le mahalter le thaane,ba fihlang bona ba tla ba fa hobane ba tla be ba saka ba tseba ho ba sebetsa sedutse hohang.bana ha ba tsamaee le mmuso o ba hohotseng hore ba tlo leqetsa mali a basotho.nna lea tseba ke tenehile joale
Comment by MAPURU on 6 September 2012:
@ Mojela ke lumellana lwena ngwaneso ke ukwa monga litaba tsena ale sideng ya Machina ana ke ukwa a sa re letho ka rona rele basotho le hore na rona re hlokang, achee ha ba TSAMAEE boo Hong Chang Hoo,,,,,hee re tennwe re ke ke ra kopa ho iketsa makhoba Lesotho mona. ke bona hore jwale rona re le Basotho re “treat” jwalo ka melata naheng ya bo rona…Enough is Enough
Comment by Itihe pele ke u liha on 6 September 2012:
‘Na ke re le khaohane le Mosisili, le tla bua neng ka ntata lona Thabane hoba ke eena motsoka-sephali hona joale? Ha a fe basali bano ba lifeme chelete ba tlohele ho re bolaisa 100 days tjena! Lona nthoe kholo ea lona ke ho lelekisa Mosisili athe ha se eena PM. Tom ha a re fe chelete, le hahae ha a etse grocery ea M900.00. Ba itse ba tlo lokisa, ha ba lokise he, lits’episo tsane ha li phethoe. Le ntena hampe ha le ntse le etsa “refer to” Mosisili le sa chochise ntat’a lona enoa le ba mo potileng ho etsa mosebetsi. Dr Leketekete Ketso, fa bo-’m'e le bo-ntate bano ba sebetsang ka thaata 2,020 eno eeo ba e batlang! Mosisili enoa oa lona is past tense, lets talk about present tense – Tom Thabane le moifo oa hae.
Comment by pitsa on 6 September 2012:
batho ba lifeme ba tlamehile ho e keletsoa meputso joale kaha mehoo ene bolela hore meputso etloa hlahlojoa mme ebe etla phelisa malapa.900 is an insult basing ourself with inflaion,transport,school fees.etc
@@SEMENEKANE OOOPS!!! OH NOT AGAIN SENYAMO! KE EA U SHOELA, U BOHLALE EBILE U KHELEKE HO FETA BATHO BOHLE BA HLAHANG FORUMONG ENA. HAPE YOU KNOW SO MUCH!! I WILL CROWN YOU………NANA!!! bogus atchaartaria!!!! looks like there is virus circulating in this forum!!! damn this virus seems to be targetting on BIG GUS LIKE ME AND SEMMY! WATCH OUT!!!!
@maoto HEI UENA SETLOKOTSEBE NTLOAOLOHE SAT…. HAEBA U NA E SHERA HAKERE LE TENG LEKA E SHEROLLA TLOHELA HO POTA LEHLANYA!!!!!11
@maoto HEI UENA SETLOKOTSEBE NTLOAOLOHE SAT…. HAEBA U NA E SHERA HAKERE LE TENG LEKA E SHEROLLA TLOHELA HO POTA LEHLANYA!!!!!11MAOTO A MOLOI KAPA ANG ONA AA NXA!!!
@MAOTO U SELE!! U BONE KE TUTUBETSE SETLAUPA???
He lona banna hobaneng ha le sena nnete tjee? `muso ke ona o shebaneng le bophelo bo botle le boiketlo ba sechaba,ha e ka le batla ho emela Thabane tjee `muso ke ona ona o tsebang na moruo o e me joang.Thanane haafe basebetsi ba lifeme 2020 joalo ka ha a t`sepisitse ho tla e fana.u ne a le ka pele ha hone ho e tsoa mokoloko ho ea offising ea Mosisili haa e nt`se ea hlokoa .Amen.
Batho bana ha ba thatafeletsoe ha ba buoe le sechaba ba se bolelle hore ba ne ba sethetsa ha bare `muso o fitileng ha o batle ho fa basebetsi cheelete.ha e na hoba ke lithoto kapa makoala.
BANA BESO KE KOPELA NTATE THABANE TS’IRELETSO. O ILE ARE TSOHLE TSEO A NENG A LI BUA O NE A LI BUISOA KE HOBANE A MPA A BATLA HO HLOLA LIKHETHO.. O NE A SA NAHANA HORE O TLA BA PUSONG…
bonnete joale ke nako ea hore Tonakholo Nkemele a nyolle meputso eaka lifemeng ka R2020 kapa ho feeta.khale a re ba e tseke pusong ea size2,ha a etse re bone hore na ke ntho etlang ho etsahala na?haesebe o ne a phoqa size2!le litaxi li tlameha ho nyoloha local ebe R10,nna ke khethile `muso oona ka mabaka ona ana.
Comment by thibos on 6 September 2012:
Young, semenekane Le khatibe buang he bashana BA heso ke utloa Taba tsa lona se Li fokola matsatsing Ana eka Le Le chabetse letsatsi kajeno toala! Che haho ntho e bohloko joalo ka motho ea tshepisang batho lintho ere khabareng o Bolela hore o ne a soasoa. Mohlomphehi ha re sa tseba hore tseo a ntseng a tlo Li pheta ke life ha ha joale. Batho se thatafatseng lipelo ntse Le bona hore bana BA bo rona BA tlo felloa Le ke sentenyana eo eo BA phoqoang ka eona ha machaena a lelekoa kahona ake re nahaneng solution e betere. Nnete ke hore basotho re rata ho bua re sa etsa Li research, ebe mashano a tlala tlala hohle Mona.
Comment by Oa Likoetseng on 6 September 2012:
Chelete ea Lifeme etla nyolloa mohlang bo Maloma lona ba hlatsitseng chelete ena ea sechaba eo e saleng ba eja. Tholang lona le shebelle ha ngoale e khiba.
Kaofela letlo hloella holima lesika joalo ka ha Maloma tsona a kopile.
Akere u hlokometse monna oa heso hore chelete ea Likhutsana e nyollotsoe?. Bothata ba hore basebetsi ba lifeme ba lefshoe m1500 ke bofeng?. Just watch the space, ba tlo nyolleloa hammoho le Maqheku
Ache e tlaba Mosebetsi o motle haeba o tla etsahala ntle ho hore BA bang BA lahleheloe ke mesebetsi.
Comment by Itihe pele ke u liha on 7 September 2012:
@Oa Likoetseng, le itse chelete e teng e ngata mona Lesotho, ha lea bua ka licondition tseo basebetsi haholo ba lifeme ba tla nyolleloa meputso ka tsona, le itse le tlo fana ka chelete.Joale uena u se u re bo malome ba hlatse chelete? U se ka lebala bo rangoana’o bana ba ntseng ba le pusong hore le bona ba lokela ho e hlatsa haeba chelete ea Lesotho mona eea hlatsuoa. Mesebetsi ea motho eea mo latela. Ke rata basebetsi ba lifeme ba etse strike pusong ea Tom tjena. Le bo- ralitaxi ha ke tsebe hore na ba nyametse kae joale ka hore local e be M10.00. Ha ba etse stay away re ke ikutloise le rona, a ke a utloe hore na ke ntho e joang administrationeng ea hae tjena.
Comment by RedBerry on 7 September 2012:
THABANE U NA ITLAMA ABATLA LI VOUTU A RE KA MORAO HO TLO ETSAHALENG??? SE RE TLOAELANG HLENG!!
Comment by Ntjabane on 7 September 2012:
TONA-KHOLO, o na sa calculata lipalo tsa hae hantle bontate, mo tsoareleng o se a le moholo. Che haele 2020 eona e sa le e ntse e se possible, more than hundred percent increase bathong ba fetang 20 000.
MOHLOMPHEHI NTATE THABANE A KA SE LOKE, A KA ROBEHA MOLALA, INFLATION ENA E KA TSOA TAOLONG.
Comment by Oa Likoetseng on 7 September 2012:
Hantle ntle hona tjee Lesotho le busoa ke Mang? Oa tseba haeba lere ke ABC… ee nka lumellana le oena hore Ntate Thabane o hlolehile.Empa haeba haa buse a le mong hake lumellane oena. Ke kopa oke o nthlakisetse hore naa Coalition Government e bolela eng? Mohlomong ka ho se rutehe ke ‘na ea lahlehileng.
@Itihe pele ke o liha
Oa hae, rene re bona mokotla o kokomohile re le hole le ona hanthe bo Malome ba phuntse lesoba ka tlase ba topetse likatana.Ka ha chelete e sileha butle ka qating ke ka hoo re reng re fana ka monyetla oa hore e hlatsetsoe ka mokotleng hape. Chee ha ba etsa manganga ke tabeng ea bona hobane etla fetela maleng aa maholo, ebe e ea senyeha e tsoa kamorao e se ele mantle, ‘me boemong boo kea kholoa joale ha ho sana puo ea letho etlabe ese ele ho ja lets’oao ho ea ka Matamong.
Comment by Thabo on 7 September 2012:
This story like a dog’s bark at night. And people hate it but mostly it’s true that something bad might happen.
The chief goal of an employer is to maximise profits,with more people&huge salaries;they will mk lose!Increase in people being hired will reduce their salaries(labour intensive),increase in wages/salaries will reduce the number of workers!(Capital intensive)>employers will substitute workers with machines!So don’t utter lyk a lay-man, Basotho ba heso!
Comment by ache on 8 September 2012:
It seem we are in a critical condition. To increase salary then reduce employee numbers or keep more employee with less salary!
How about let government take over the factories and pay M2020 or M4040 per month?
Comment by Teboho on 8 September 2012:
1) Politicians lie during campaigns. It does not matter what party they are in. If they are not already in power, they will sometimes lie even more.
2) Textile manufacturing is a “poor country’s industry”. What I mean is that economically bigger counties send their textile orders to poor countries for a pittance. If Lesotho is interested in the textile industry, it will have to compete with all of the other low wage countries.
3) Textile manufacturing is not a way out of poverty. It will only allow Lesotho to continue staying near the bottom of the world’s economies.
4) The only kind of manufacturing that will grow the economy is specialized manufacturing (things such as airplanes, computers, medical equipment, etc).
5) Education is Lesotho’s only hope. Larger economies (European, American, etc) are based largely on service industries, NOT manufacturing. Lesotho’s education system is poor (how else do you explain graduates getting poor marks even in a class such as “Sesotho”?!) Are we satisfied with training people to become laborers? Why are we not focused on educating scientists, engineers, doctors, etc?
@ache — if the government takes over the factories, they still will not be able to pay M2020 or M4040 unless they increase the prices that they sell the textiles for… and if they increase the prices, people are not going to purchase from Lesotho factories. No business is going to say “oh, we should buy from Lesotho just because we love Basotho even though it costs more.”
The money that is paid in salaries must come from somewhere– it does not just appear magically.
Ntate Thabane ba o Khethile one o ba Tsepise hore o tla bafa R5000.00 or it was just a campaign -now is time to deliver ..Good luck as u give them a better life…sera sa motho ke tlala.Matichere le ona a emetse li R10 000.00 …la chaba .Tlala re ka ehlola ka meputso e Tsoanang le ea Afrika E boroa ,e le ho stoppa skillful pple to go out of the country.
Comment by Oa Likoetseng on 10 September 2012:
Yes the money that is paid in salaries must come from somewhere. 1.Why ho sa etsoe hore nthong tse kang metsi ebe re a fa lifeme free joalo ka ha rena le metsi.
2.Re theolele lifeme motlakase le Tax.
3.Re tlatseletse ka ena ee jeloeng ka bolotsana ha re ntse re nahana mekhoa e meng, hobane hee e ngata chelete eno ntate.Ke chelete,ke Meaho Lesotho le RSA, ke lits’a le meaho ea LNDC, ke likolo le litsela tsee ahiloeng moeng…ho hongata feela.
TLATSELETSA SOMEWHERE ena ngoaneso otla bona hore ke bosesanyane ba khoele.
Comment by Itihe pele ke u liha on 11 September 2012:
@Maoto u ntse u potela Silent ka hore ntata’e Mosisili ke eena a sentseng machina. Haeba ho joalo, ke turn ea ntata’o Thabane hore a lokise, ke itse le khaohane le Mosisili hoba ha ho letho le molemo leo a ka le etsetsang lona hona joale. Ebe Tom eena o tla sebetse neng joale ha issue e le Mccd….Mccd….Mccd? Fotsek!
Comment by Thabo on 11 September 2012:
Ok Which owner can pay M2020 when he operate these factories? Union? Government? Central Bank? Bill Gates?
Re lebeletse liphetoho tseo eleng khale re li bolelloa pele ‘muso ona o litulong o motle oa kopanelo o thehoa. Ruri mantsoe kapa lits’episo tse matla tse ntle ruri. 1. Lifemeng basebetsi ba tlo fuoa M2020.
2.School fees boemong ba High School se tlo theoloa e be ho lefelloa bana likolong tsa mathomo.
3. Maqheku ho tloha ka lilemo tse 60 ba tlo khola chelete ea boqheku e bileng e tlo nyolloa ho tloha ho M350 ho ea holimonyana etc.
Ntate Thabane hle, etsa hore re utloe mofuthu oa ho busoa ka puso ea sebopeho sena. Mona re tlo kopana re fetoha ntho ele ngoe kaha ka moo nna ke bonang litaba ka ihlo la moea ka teng ke hore, Lesotho mona ha ho sa tla ba Le MOKHA OA LIPOLOTIKI o ka hlolang mabatooa ao o ka thehang ‘MUSO o le mong. Basotho kopano ke matla etsoe basotho kaofela re chabana sa khomo. KE SA PHETA KE RE re beng beng marema tlou a ntsoe leng, re bueng ka liphetoho ‘me re be re bone li etsahala. KHOTSO PULA NALA.
Comment by Lefika on 11 September 2012:
Baheso na le bona ho le molemo hore re ne re be le ntho e bitsoang mohoo kapa mehoo ka nako ea boiketho? hoba joale a se lintho tse phethahalang,o se a baka mehau joale e noa ntata lona Thabane,o buile ntho li hana hofela ha qeta o re o ne a batla ho hlola likhetho hooa bonahala hore o re entse ~mantloane.O Hlokometse hore Basotho re sechaba se sa ikemelang se bothothonyane joale ha e se a bapalle ho rona.
Bo ntate le bo ~me~ na le re re tla loka Lesotho moo ha muso o oa kopanelo o thseetsoa ke litlokotsebe tjee?Chakela ea bolaileng libini tse ngata ha kale lere a khutlele hae kapa naha ee ke ~mae. che re lekeile rona mapotoana ka muso oa litlokotsebe.Tonakholo nkemele o potapotiloe ke masholu feela.M2020 UONA RE EA E HLOKA KA LIFEMENG A KA RE TLOAELA HA MPE EENOA A TSOFETSENG ha re mantloane Lesotho mona.
Comment by lean body on 30 April 2013:
Comment by optionstradingmaster.com on 13 May 2013: