07 Dec 2015

The Minister of Labour and Home Affairs Mr Edwin Batshu has said  there are 15 International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions ratified by Botswana including the eight core convections. Minister Batshu told Parliament that all the 15 conventions signed and ratified have been domesticated and enacted into Botswana national laws and policies.

However, Mr Batshu said more work is still being done to align some sections of the labour laws with the provisions  of some conventions. He said to this end, the Trade Dispute bill will be tabled during the current parliament session. Minister Batshu further said consultations with stakeholders are ongoing with a view to amending the employment act and the Trade Unions and Employer’s Organisations Act.

He also explained that there are 189 ILO conventions which have not been signed because of inapplicability of some conventions to Botswana’s situation. He further explained that some reasons are inconsistencies between the provisions of the conventions and Botswana Constitutions and the ongoing gap analysis between some conventions and Botswana current laws including the constitution in order to decide on the way forward.

The minister was responding to a question asked by Selebi Phikwe West MP, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse who asked the minister to state the number of ILO conventions signed and ratified by Botswana. He also asked him to state the number of signed and ratified ILO conventions domesticated into law and policies that have been implemented and ILO conventions not signed, ratified and state reasons. Ends