Employer, unions return to the table without Manual Workers
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday June 29, 2026 06:00
However, the process has once again begun without the participation of Manual Workers that have broken ranks with other unions. After years without functioning, the Public Service Bargaining Council (PSBC) announced this week that government, represented as the Employer Party, and the admitted trade unions reached consensus on the framework that will guide negotiations over salaries, conditions of service, and public service remuneration reforms.
The admitted unions participating in the process are the Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU), Botswana Teachers Union (BTU), Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU), Botswana Land Boards, Local Authorities and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU) and BONU/BDU AJA.
Notably absent from the negotiations are representatives of Manual Workers, a group that has historically formed a significant portion of the public service workforce.
Their exclusion means that discussions on salaries and conditions of service will proceed without direct representation of workers who occupy some of the lowest-paid positions in government.
According to the PSBC, negotiations will focus on three key areas namely Health Sector Conditions of Service, the Public Service Remuneration Policy and Salary Structure, and the proposed 2026–2027 salary and conditions of service adjustments.
The parties also adopted a detailed timetable for the negotiations. A capacity-building programme for negotiators is scheduled for July 6 to 7, while government is expected to submit its engagement paper on health sector conditions of service by June 30. The Employer Party is further expected to table its counterproposal on salary adjustments by July 17.
Formal salary negotiations are scheduled to take place between July 27 and July 31, while talks on health sector conditions of service and the broader remuneration policy will follow from August 3 to 7.
In a statement, the PSBC described the initial meeting as constructive and characterised by mutual respect and a shared commitment to social dialogue.
The parties reaffirmed their commitment to good faith bargaining and pledged to conduct negotiations in a transparent and consultative manner, it stated.
'The Parties further undertook to participate in the negotiations diligently, transparently, and in a manner that promotes harmonious labour relations, fosters mutual trust, and advances the best interests of the Public Service and the nation at large,' the statement said.
The bargaining process comes at a time when public servants are facing rising living costs and increasing pressure on household incomes. Expectations are therefore high that this year's negotiations will result in meaningful salary adjustments.
However, labour observers argue that the absence of Manual Workers weakens the representative character of the bargaining process, particularly given the number of workers it represents.
Manual Workers is considered one of the largest trade unions in the country.
The union has been at odds with the government and fell out with other trade unions over the appointment of Andrew Motsamai to the position of PSBC secretary.
Despite these concerns, the PSBC has assured public officers and stakeholders that the negotiations are being conducted in a cordial and professional atmosphere aimed at producing equitable and sustainable outcomes.
The council further pledged to keep the public informed of significant developments as the negotiations progress over the coming weeks, with salary talks expected to attract keen attention from thousands of public servants across the country.