05 Dec 2013

Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration ministry, Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri says unions and government should come together and dialogue on the issue of politics.

Officially opening Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU)’s congress held in Palapye on Wednesday, December 5, Mr Matlhabaphiri shared the same sentiments with union president, Mr Andrew Motsamai that government and workers unions should discuss the issue in depth and have a clear understanding of what is meant by non-engagement in politics.

However, he pointed out that he shared a different view from that workers union on the issue of affiliation to political parties, saying workers unions should be concerned about employees’ welfare as such should not align themselves with any political party. On other issues, Mr Matlhabaphiri said government was amending the Public Service Act, adding that Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) and Attorney General were engaged to come up with the draft document.

He said unions will be consulted after the draft had been drawn so that their input is incorporated prior to submitting the draft to Parliament. He said there was no intention to skip the aspect of consultation particularly stakeholders such as unions because “we want everything that will happen in future to have the input of unions.”
He said there was no way unions could be consulted now when there was no draft document on the table. He urged BOPEU members to wait for DPSM and AGs to complete the draft.

He also said DPSM had been instructed to address the issue of travelling overtime for officers. Mr Matlhabaphiri further stated that government continued to explore ways and means to improve the working and living conditions of public servants.

“Had it not been for other growing and competing needs, government would have addressed your working conditions to your utmost satisfaction.”

Government, he said was equally concerned about acute shortage of accommodation for public servants, adding that government was looking at the prospects of financing home ownership for public servants. For his part, BOPEU president Mr Motsamai raised a concern that government intended to amend the Public Service Act without proper consultation with workers unions.

“We have not to date received even the first draft of proposed amendments despite our relentless request to be consulted,” he said. Regarding travelling overtime, he said the union raised the issue about unfairness in the payment of travelling overtime allowances, adding that the issue affected all government departments.
In addition, he said the demand for housing was increasing but the answer given was that there was no land.

He said government needed to do something urgently about the issue. “We expect to see the state acting actively as a willing buyer and re-distributor of land to enable greater empowerment of people.” ENDS