02 May 2023

More needs to be done to improve the livelihoods of workers, says Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Ms Annah Mokgethi.

Addressing workers and trade unions during the International Labour Day commemoration in Selebi Phikwe on Monday, Ms Mokgethi acknowledged that positive strides had been made in improving trade unionism in the country, but there can be improvement.

“I have interacted with the tripartite, federations and some individual trade unions and have observed some challenges faced by trade unions in this country,” she said.

Challenges experienced by trade unions, she said, included failure to comply with their own constitutions, failure to keep proper records, internal disputes, which ended up in courts of law as well as executive committees that stayed in office beyond their mandate.

Ms Mokgethi also noted with concern, non-compliance with  the law, especially with regard to submission of annual returns, which she said could compromise trust and confidence of members.

She warned that such non-compliance could also  lead to de-registration of a union, thus she called upon all trade unions to regularise their status.

Ms Mokgethi said on the other side of the spectrum were employers who were reluctant to recognise trade unions in their work places, as well as the tendency to marginalise and discriminate against trade union members.

“Rather than being viewed as stakeholders in the employer’s business, trade unions are normally seen by employers as antagonists,” she said.

Despite these challenges, Ms Mokgethi, who is also Gaborone Bonnington North MP, acknowledged the achievements attained by trade Unions, which include various investment schemes built on social solidarity basis, property acquisition, funeral benefits, job creation as well as access to soft loans and Information and Communication Technology equipment for members. Meanwhile, the minister called for concerted efforts by the tripartite (government, labour and business) to come up with sound and sustainable solutions for the good of the workers.

For his part, Botswana Federation of Public Private and Parastatal Sector Unions (BOFEPUSO) president, Mr Johannes Tshukudu said workers were not happy because their welfare and conditions of service left much to be desired.

Mr Tshukudu said a lot of workers were concerned about the apparent erosion of their purchasing power owing to stagnant wages, visa vis the fast growing rate of inflation.

Prohibiting legislation in establishing Joint Industrial Councils (JIC), he said, was one major factor that militated against bargaining in the private sector and consequently subjecting workers to low wages and deplorable conditions of service.

He said the JIC would enable various industries or sectors to have bargaining chambers or forum.

He also raised issues of deteriorating industrial relations, massive retrenchments and absence of minimum wage based on the basic living standard, as some of the issues affecting trade unionism in this country.

Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) president, Ms Martha Molema also expressed concern about the government’s reluctance to ratify some labour conventions.

Ms Molema urged the government to fast-track ratification of conventions, saying that would address a lot of issues affecting workers in this country.

The commemoration was held under the theme: Demanding Workers Rights and Economic Power”. Ends