BOFEPUSU petitions Parliament

Oarabile Mosikare | Friday April 11, 2014 13:13

 

The petition followed the President’s announcement of the 4 percent increment early this month despite a dispute over the wage negotiations.  Member of Parliament for Francistown South Wynter Mmolotsi read the petition on behalf of the federation.

“The trade unions and BOFEPUSU are aggrieved because the President of Botswana and the Director of Public Service Management have acted in disregard of their duty to bargain in good faith and in violation of rules governing negotiations,” said Mmolotsi of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).

He said as a result of the prevailing situation created by the DPSM and the President, trade unions’ statutory and contractual right to a fair and good collective bargaining process is being severely undermined.  “From the express statements of the President as aforesaid, the trade unions and their members wonder if there will be any use in going to the negotiation table,” said Mmolotsi.

He said the trade unions are reasonably fearful that without the intervention of the National Assembly, the DPSM and Khama would continue to do as they wish, disregarding the due processes of collective bargaining as prescribed in the law.  “In the premises, the petitioners wish to call upon the National Assembly to do all within its powers to stop the President and the DPSM from undermining the Bargaining Council established by this very Parliament under the Public Service Act of 2008.”

The BOFEPUSU secretary for labour Johnson Motshwarakgole has hailed their Parliament petition a success.  “Although the House did not debate the petition because the standing orders do not permit for that, it was the first time in the history of Botswana that trade unions managed to petition Parliament,” said the veteran trade unionist.