30 Jan 2017

Deputy permanent secretary (DPS) in the Ministry of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development says the launch of the Rules of the Industrial Court in braille is a milestone.

Ms Rose Sennanyana, who was speaking on behalf of the minister, said this after receiving copies of the Rules of the Industrial Court during a launch in Gaborone recently.

She said making the rules available in braille would go a long way in ensuring inclusiveness of customers with disabilities, adding that the rules were aligned to NDP 11 through which government committed to promote a peaceful and inclusive society for sustainable development and provide access to justice for all.

“It is only with a dynamic, vibrant and fully operational and functional judiciary that these pillars can be upheld and sustained. It is therefore imperative that we as a nation strive towards continually reviewing and reforming our judicial system to keep in line and up to date with international standards,” she said.

Batswana as a whole, she said, should take pride in this development, adding that since the establishment of the Industrial Court in 1992, the court was able to establish through practice, what needed to be improved and what loopholes needed to be closed, in regard to labour rights issues.

Ms Sennanyana noted that this was true in the sense that the court oversaw the review of the Trade Dispute Act which started to operate last year in November; that broadened the Industrial Court mandate to include the public sector.

She however said the launching of the Rules was a testimony to how operations of the court are going to improve and speed up processes for efficient delivery of labour justice.

In this regard, she said her ministry was committed to supporting such initiatives of the Industrial Court and would continue to ensure that the environment was conducive for these developments and growth to take place.

The deputy permanent secretary noted with pleasure that since the Rules introduce Court Annexed Mediation (CAM), this would curtail the number of cases going to full trial as most cases would be settled during this process or at this stage, thus speeding up the delivery of labour justice.

In his welcome address, Justice Phetsolo Nare, who is also Registrar of the Industrial Court noted that; “Our new Rules are not perfect, virtue of legislative inadequacies. We nevertheless remain resolute that the advent of same will usher much needed relief of our customers, and deliver optimal services during the incoming National Development Plan 11”.

Justice Nare said the Industrial Court prides itself of being the forum of first choice for workplace justice, committed to settling labour disputes timely in a fair, impartial and accessible manner to further secure and maintain good industrial relations.

In the same breadth, Justice Tebogo Marumo said government expects members of the public to be assisted timely, using user friendly processes. 

She applauded the court for having seen the need to reform the processes. 

She also said the court appreciates government’s recognition of the need to bring on board the disabled members of the society especially the blind and partially sighted. ENDS