26 Jun 2018

Parliament has rejected a motion requesting government to introduce a decent living wage policy for Botswana.

Tabling the motion before Parliament, Jwaneng/Mabutsane legislator, Mr Shawn Ntlhaile said it was high time government introduced a decent living wage policy.

The move, he said, would have huge economic benefits for the country.

Mr Ntlhaile argued that there was a thin line between a minimum wage and decent living wage saying “unlike a minimum wage ,with a decent living wage families would be better placed to afford basic households requirements.”

Debating the motion, Selebi Phikwe East MP, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse  explained that the living wage was different from minimum wage in the sense that minimum wage could not address basic needs and decent standards of living while decent living wage  addressed the idea to ensure that workers had decent standard of living.

Mr Keorapetse stated that currently there was huge wage disparity between the country’s working class.

“The lowest paid civil servant in our country earns about P1 600 and the highest paid gets around P75 000 without including allowances,” he said.

Nata/Gweta MP, Mr Paulson Majaga said the country’s work force was disgruntled due to low salaries something which he said led to low productivity in the work place.

He stated that it was disheartening to note that many workers’ dignity was eroded away by the ‘paltry remuneration’ they were getting from their employers.

Serowe South MP,  Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi said with the current minimum wage government was offering, there were also social welfare allowances and other subsidies for low-income workers, such as, free education and health services.

She was of the view that the introduction of living wage policy would lead to government having to cut down on some subsidies something which might affect the poor.

Even though the motion received support on the floor, it did not see the light of the day as only 12 MPs voted in favour of it while 15 voted against it. ENDS