22 Jun 2023

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has assured trade unions of continued engagement and commitment to address labour issues.

Dr Masisi expressed this during a meeting with the leadership of Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) in Gaborone yesterday.

He said the tripartite model, which included workers, government and the labour movements, would continue to engage each other, to agree or disagree on issues with an aim to amicably resolve labour matters.

Briefing the media post the courtesy call, BFTU president, Ms Martha Molema said the union leadership engaged with the President on issues affecting labour movements.

Ms Molema said discussions focused on among other issues, labour related conventions that the country was yet to ratify.

She said the meeting went well, noting  that when he assumed the Presidency in 2018, Dr Masisi promised to engage with the labour movements from time to time in a tripartite way though the engagements were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The meeting, she said, was worthwhile with President Masisi promising to always avail himself whenever it was necessary to meet.

Ms Molema said their discussions also touched on welfare issues of the labour force including unsatisfactory wages and filling of vacant posts.

Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Ms Anna Mokgethi described the engagement as cordial, adding that BFTU leadership was accorded an opportunity to raise issues of concern, some of which were not new and government was constantly finding ways to amicable solutions. She added that the President had stayed true to his promise that he would from time to time engage with trade unions to amicably resolve labour issues.

Some of the issues raised, she said, were discussed at the recently held International Labour Conference that was attended by a delegation comprising government and trade unions representatives.

A media briefing will be arranged to deliberate on the outcome of the conference, Ms Mokgethi stated. ends