16 Jul 2019

The Department of Public Service  Management (DPSM) will on July 19 exchange position papers with public sector unions to pave way for the pending negotiations for the public service’s conditions of service.

Public sector unions’ technical advisor who is also Botswana Federation of Teachers Union (BFTU) President, Mr Martin Gabobake stated during a meeting with the six public sector unions; Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU), BOPEU, Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) Botswana Land Boards and Local Authorities Workers Union (BLLAWU), Botswana Nurses Union (BONU, National Amalgamated Central, Local & Parastatal Manual Workers’ Union and Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) to update workers in Gaborone recently.

He said exchange of position papers would enable the tripartite parties to resume negotiations on the conditions of service as per the Malaysian private consultancy firm, Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU ) report at a meeting scheduled for Lobatse from July 27 to 31.

Mr Gabobake said in April, public sector unions and DPSM were apprised on the contents of the PEMANDU report during a workshop facilitated by PEMANDU Consultancy and that the report was fully discussed on issues pertaining to government remuneration packages among others.

Following that, he said the tripartite parties were supposed to meet in May to exchange position papers to pave way for negotiations that were scheduled for June, but the DPSM was not ready because Cabinet had not issued a mandate.

“We should have started negotiations on conditions of service for public servants on June, but government was not ready at a set a date of June 20,” he said.

He also revealed that in the same month the parties were supposed to start negotiating remuneration packages, but that also never effected because DPSM had not received mandate from Cabinet. Workers demanded that the negotiations be held within the stipulated time and that feedback be given promptly. 

They cited that DPSM should be taken to task by the employer because issues pertaining to remunerations were sensitive and should be dealt with due diligence.

They also cited that they were unhappy that DPSM was dragging the matter which affected workers’ welfare. Ends