07 Jun 2018

Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) secretary general, Mr Thusang Butale says they are looking forward to working with tripartite partners in implementing the ILO Committee of Application of Standards (CAS) recommendations.  

   The tripartite partners include representatives from the Directorate of Public Service Management, trade unions and Business Botswana.

Following Botswana’s appearance before the International Labour Conference’s Committee of Application of Standards (CAS) at the 107^th session of the ILO conference in Geneva, Switzerland, this week, government has been ordered to broaden the scope of labour law review.

In an interview, Mr Butale said they felt encouraged by the affirmations made by the Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo during the presentations.

“The minister has indicated that the scope of labour laws to be reviewed will also include the Trade Disputes Act and the Public Service Act, and the said acts will be submitted during the November sitting of Parliament,” he said.

Taking into account government’s submissions, the committee ordered that government should take appropriate measures in consultation with employer and worker organisations to ensure that labour and employment legislation granted members of the prison service the right to unionise as guaranteed by the convention.

Government has also been ordered to amend the Trade Unions and Employers Organisation Act in consultation with employers and workers organisations in order to bring it into conformity with the conventions as well as to ensure that registration of trade unions in law and in practice conformed to Convention Number 87.

Government was summoned before the committee to answer for among other things, the infringements on convention 87 that entails the reluctance by government to amend the Trade Unions and Employers’ Organisation Act and the Prisons Act to allow prison officers to unionise on the basis that they belonged to the category of armed forces. The 2017 CAS (Committee of Application of Standards) further recommended that Botswana should facilitate the formation of a tripartite committee that would engage on the exercise.

Botswana was also ordered to submit itself to an ILO expertise to assist in the process and develop a time bound action plan. 

Meanwhile, Minister Mabeo said he regretted that observations from workers’ group had turned a blind eye to the progress made so far.

He said government shall apply best endeavor to expedite the consultation process.

“We thank government employers’ representatives for sharing our common conviction that as a country, we pride ourselves with our consultative approach to decision making. 

We do what we do not to impress ILO, but because we wish to create a healthy, competitive economy that is conducive to job creation and improve the quality of life of our people,” he said. 

Mr Mabeo also said it was envisaged that the bills on the amendments of the said acts would be submitted to the November 2018 session of Parliament. Furthermore, he said government and social partners would engage an expert to assist in the process of reviewing the laws.

“It is important to note that during government’s engagement with representatives of employers and workers, it became clear that the amendment of the Trade Disputes Act, particularly with a view to reviewing the list of essential services, was of critical importance to workers,” he said.

Mr Mabeo further said as ILO has recommended that the act should be amended, government deemed it necessary to relook at the list of essential services and that the Trade Disputes Act and Public Service Act would form part of the laws that would be reviewed. 

Botswana has been in the limelight following the amendment of the Trade Dispute Act that among others increased the number of cadres that formed part of the essential services such as diamond sorting, cutting and selling services, the teaching services, the veterinary services in the public service, the immigration and Botswana Unified Revenue Services, broadcasting services and the fuel haulage services. ENDS