Firstly, there is no tradition of worker consciousness among the existing trade unions many of which function as social clubs, burial societies or staff clubs away from work.  The most adventurous will occasionally threaten strikes for increased pay and that has historically been their most visible ground for advancement of worker rights.

Secondly, the workers are stuck with those forms of organisations that were prepared for them by the government and the forms that are available for them to fill at the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs.  So, the formation of a trade union, an association or any other kind of society was not based on the clearly identified needs of the workers but rather, on a legal blueprint prepared for them by the ministry.  That on its own is not bad from a purely technical point of view.

The real concern is whether the workers are able to use the structure, the society, the trade union or the association in the best interests of the workers in a wholesome way or whether in the end these organisations serve their very adversaries, the employers.

My little experience of over 30 years in struggling to establish workers organisations among the artists and the journalists teaches me that in effect, the organisations that exist have only served the interests of the employers, managers and the Ministry of Home Affairs, mainly to smother the radicalism of the workers and to suppress their demands for better working conditions, a fair political, social and economic dispensation for workers.

We established the Botswana Association of Musicians in the early '90s to create a net for all people associated with the very small entertainment industry then.  The industry has grown considerably since then and there has been a good measure of diversification with the coming of promoters, recording studios, the Ministry of culture, The Ministry of Home Affairs, the Botswana National Cultural Council, Night clubs, Hotels, Jukeboxes, Botswana Television, the state radios at RBI and II plus the private radio stations.

The artists need to prepare their minds and their organisations for the manner in which they deal with the people who use their product for profit.

The first thing to recognise is that the artist had his livelihood, and therefore his rights built into his creation.  The employer, the manager, Btv, the radio stations - state owned and private - exploit those products for profit.  That is where the creative artists - the journalists among them - part ways with the promoters, the recording studios and the radio and television stations. The artist creates for a living. The other people exploit the work of the artist for his own living, usually a much more prosperous one.  In that regard, the interest of the artists and those of the employers are completely opposed to each other.

When the artist is aware of that he thinks differently about the promoters, the managers and the radio stations. The artist then establishes his own organisation with others who share the same interest; artists, in order to protect their products and their livelihood.  The managers, the radio stations and TV stations, recording companies and record shops go to BOCCIM where they properly belong.

But they must get out of the trade union of the artists and stop confusing the musicians who usually do not enjoy the same lifestyle and education that they enjoy. BOCCIM will call the trade union representatives if they want to negotiate an issue, and likewise with the trade unions when they have an issue with the employers.Usually, the promoters and the mangers tell the lie that: "We all belong together because we are all in the entertainment industry.  So we must be unified."

That is a lot of hogwash.  People unify for a common purpose.  The farmer and his workers live on the farm.  That does not make the farm a joint enterprise.  The farmer uses the labourers to feed his cows so he can sell them to BMC for his own profit, which he does not share with the labourer.  He gives the labourer a wage, which he has a right to negotiate through the Farm Workers Union.The miner and the General Manager live in Jwaneng and Orapa, but they do not sit on the same board.  The General Manager pays the workers a wage and then he sells the diamonds that were dug by the miner for a profit, which he shares with the board members and the government.  The mine worker has the right to negotiate his wage from across the table with the General Manager.   

I have received encouragement to revive the Botswana Association of Musicians, which passed on its mandate to what was intended to be a Botswana Musicians Union.  There is no point in going back.  BAMU must be a thing of the past.  The artists need to get together and chase the promoters, recording studio owners, managers, Btv, RBI and II, nightclub owners and Juke Box owners out of the union, which must be properly registered with the Registrar of Trade Unions.

That way we can bring some respect to occasions such as the tribute for Jacob Mmusi.  The trade union would have invited the BDF to play their part at the event.  Similarly the parents would also have played their part. The trouble is that the union is too busy with employer issues to give any attention to the most sensitive needs of the artists.  Let them go.

*  I have run out of space where I will propose a Performing and Graphic Arts Cooperative where we shall want only workers if they continue to fool around at BOMU and the journalists association.  A ko ba re tswele ka nltu.