17 Oct 2016

Member of Parliament for Selebi Phikwe West, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse has urged Botswana Bank Employees Union (BOBEU) members to forge working relationships with other bank employees unions to form a collective bargaining structures.
Officially opening BOBEU 23rd Biennial Conference in Palapye, Mr Keorapetse said the banking sector has a small population of employees but are affiliated to different unions.
He said the industry was too small for so many unions, thus urging them to forge working relationships to form a collective bargaining structure.
Mr Keorapetse said trade unions faced serious challenges of proliferation and fragmentation, adding that this weakens the unions as they cannot speak with one voice.
“Unions are faced with the problem of leadership, some unions have set up business ventures and are now grappling with the problem of corruption and nepotism,” he said.
He urged the union leadership to do things transparently because there could never be accountability when there was no transparency.
He urged union members to demand accountability.
The union is composed of seven commercial banks being First National Bank, Standard Chartered, Bank Gaborone, Bank of Baroda, Stanbic, Capital Bank and Barclays Bank.
On other issues, Mr Keorapetse urged the union members to keep upgrading their skills so that they remain relevant to the banking sector as banks are moving at a fast pace in the area of technology.
He said ‘technological innovations can result in undesired unforeseen consequences.’
The conference was held under the theme, Trade unions in the technology era-remaining relevant and ensuring strengthened partnerships.
The chairperson of BOBEU, Mr Odisitse Mafoko added that the conference provided an opportunity for the union delegates to reflect on the progress made so far.
He said there was still a lot to be done, adding “we must demand the right to organise, collectively bargain and the right to social protection and training.”
Mr Mafoko said workers of today needed a strong, well- resourced and properly led union to deal with employer power and defeat the employer through employee power given by the law.
Mr Mafoko asked the union members to work together as a team to take the union to greater heights. He said as the world changes, labour movements must also change and encounter any oppressive laws and unfair labour practicec. ENDS