30 Nov 2016

Vice President Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi has implored Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) members to broaden the participation of all stakeholders in building a vibrant economy.

Officially opening the BOPEU congress in Francistown on Tuesday, Mr Masisi said programmes such as the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) relied heavily on a dedicated and gifted workforce.  

In addition, he said in keeping with the government’s commitment to achieve accelerated job creation, eradication of abject poverty and the provision of world class education, along with improvements in the health and wellbeing of all Batswana, ESP was a bold blueprint for the urgent delivery of national priorities.

He said ESP would involve increased public spending on short, medium and longer-term initiatives.

“As Botswana, we should be steadfast and be proud of everything we achieve,” he said.

He added that  unions should not be used to be involved in politics.

Mr Masisi further said although the government was committed to improving work conditions, hard economic times made it difficult. He noted the closure of BCL mine which he said was inevitable.

On other issues, he thanked the BOPEU leadership for such forums, adding that they played a significant role both nationally and internationally.

He said the review of the Public Service Act now involved the Bargaining Council.

For his part, BOPEU president, Mr Andrew Motsamai said the government of the day was not just the employer to public sector employees, but was also the employer of the largest constituency from which BOPEU organises.

He said they were faced with numerous challenges that required the meaningful intervention by government.

Mr Motsamai said the theme of the congress: Defending and preserving workers agenda in the midst of repressive labour laws, encapsulated a troubled and hurting work force. He said low salaries and a negative government attitude towards sound labour management practices was a source of concern.

Mr Motsamai said as a worker’s movement, they were concerned that the current levels of social degradation, anger, tension, corruption and eroded morale in the public service signaled a failing human  resource management policy on the part of the government as the employer.

He added that no organisation could prosper in an environment that was deficient of industrial harmony.

He said it would be remiss of them if they failed to register their concerns over the unending feud or bad industrial relations between the employer and the labour movement.

He appealed to the Vice President’s office to engage public sector unions with empathy and address their concerns.

“We have observed over time that trade unions are no longer taken on board as partners in the development of this country.

The perception we have as workers is that there is an entrenched culture of a general lack of consultation within government enclave. Government no longer sees value in consulting trade unions,” he said.

Mr Motsamai added that there was an outcry across the spectrum of economic activities that productivity in the public service was at its lowest. ENDS