15 Feb 2015

The Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu, says he is concerned by the big number of trade disputes in Botswana. 

Tabling his ministry’s budget proposal for the 2015/16 financial year in Parliament, he said a total of 10 122 trade disputes were registered at district labour offices throughout the country by December 31,2014.

He said 4 665 cases were settled, 908 were default awards, 1 656 were referred to the Industrial Court, 2 820 were withdrawn or parties did not turn up, while 73 were pending. “Trade dispute is a matter of concern to my ministry as it reflects unpleasant working relations within the various sectors of the economy,” Mr Batshu told Parliament.

He said P1.55 million was collected for payment as settlement for some trade disputes and the money has since been credited to the beneficiaries. Mr Batshu proposed a total of P433 million as budget for his ministry for the financial year 2015/16. The amount included P381 million as recurrent budget estimates and P52 million as development budget estimates.

Mr Batshu said the development budget figures represent an increase of 17.8 percent from the 2014/15 budget. He said P44 million will be spent on the ministry’s computerisation projects, which include development of the Work Permit Module under the Immigration and Citizenship System, roll-out of the Passport and Border Control System to 17 border posts, and installation of Public Key Directory. The minister said P1.5 million will be used for the fleet expansion project for departments under his ministry. “Additional vehicles are needed all over the country across outstations to enable officers to move around to offer effective and efficient service to the public,” said the minister.

Mr Batshu also explained that P3.9 million will be used in consultancy projects on Gender Based Violence Prevention and Elimination initiatives as well as the EDF-10 Project for the Empowerment of Non-State Actors in Botswana. He said a further P2.5 million is going to be spent on the facilities projects, which include maintenance of Madirelo Training and Testing Centre, and settling of the final account for the Gaborone District Labour Office.

For the recurrent budget estimates, Mr Batshu said the figure has increased by P35.7 million from the current financial year. The minister, while making the proposal, said Botswana continues to experience an influx of illegal immigrants. He said intensified operations with other law enforcement agencies are conducted regularly and these have proved to be effective in controlling the influx of illegal immigrants.

“It is however noted with concern that despite government efforts to control illegal migration into the country, some Batswana take advantage of them by offering them job opportunities that otherwise could have been secured by Batswana. I urge members of this Honourable House to assist government to control this problem through sensitisation of your constituents,” he said. ENDS