Botswana wage rates not slavery – Mokgethi
Mompati Tlhankane | Monday November 27, 2023 06:00
Wage slavery refers to a person's dependence on wages (or a salary) for their livelihood, especially when wages are low, treatment and conditions are poor, and there are few chances of upward mobility. Speaking in Parliament yesterday, the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Anna Mokgethi emphasised that Botswana rates are not modern day slavery wages as the rates are a consensus of the parties concerned through the Minimum Wage Advisory Board (MWAB).
A minimum wage is the lowest amount a worker can be paid hourly determined by law and paying an individual below the minimum wage is illegal. “The MWAB is a tripartite plus structure comprising employers, workers, government representatives and independent members and exists to advise the minister on adjustment or abolition of minimum wage rates in the various sectors of the economy.
All these parties have vested interests in setting the minimum wage rates.
The Board considers various factors such as the cost of living, affordability, inflation, productivity and the desire of attaining and maintaining a high level of employment in making its recommendation to the minister,” Mokgethi highlighted. Mokgethi was responding to a question from the Francistown West legislator, Ignatius Moswaane, who had asked amongst others if she was aware that security companies are underpaying their employees and that the latter work under stressful and unsafe conditions for wages that amount to modern-day slavery. Meanwhile, President Mokgweetsi Masisi confirmed during the recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the new minimum wages will be reviewed before the end of this financial year. Mokgethi’s emphasis comes shortly after she had reiterated Masisi’s SONA announcement when she revealed that the MWAB, convened on August 10, 2023, September 13, 2023 and October 31, 2023 to consider the adjustment of the minimum wages rate.
“The tripartite have considered factors of inflation, the buying power and other economic factors in their conclusions. As is required by law, I have received their recommendations for consideration. The intention is to adjust the minimum wages rates before the end of this financial year,” Mokgethi told Parliament a few weeks back. In terms of living wage, Mokgethi told Parliament that Botswana is a member of International Labour Organisation (ILO) and there is a way the latter advises its members. A living wage is the amount an individual or family would need to make to avoid living in poverty. This amount is usually higher than the minimum wage and is not mandated by law. “ILO advises us about minimum wages and I can confirm that this year in June when we attended the International Labour Conference in Geneva, we met with representatives from the minimum wage office of the ILO and sought advice about issues concerning minimum wage.
They said they were in Botswana to look at issues of minimum wage and they never saw anything wrong with the current situation in Botswana,” she announced then. Mokgethi added that Botswana takes all the recommendation it gets from the ILO regarding the minimum wages for Botswana. She said 90% of the world uses the minimum wage as compared to the living wage. “Most countries which use the living wage are first world countries with thriving economies. The living wage is aspirational,” she highlighted.
Mokgethi said they have not reached the level where they can use the living wage. In 2022 government adjusted the minimum wage rates by 8.4 percent across the board. The minimum wages rates for domestic and agricultural sectors were adjusted to P1, 084 per month while most industries were adjusted to P7.34 per hour. All eyes now will be on government to set considerate minimum wages following the opposition’s decision to adjust its initial proposed P3, 000 for 2019 to P4, 000 now.