Union wins right to BOPF board membership

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday October 14, 2014 08:00

 

The union had taken BPOF and 23 individuals and organisations to court seeking NALCGPWU representation in the board of trustees. They also challenged that roles of the Fund be followed, that required voting for representation to the BPOF, something that has not been done.  

Before the court could rule on the matter, the respondents made settlement agreement favouring NALCGPWU. They are agreed that all employees cited should on or before October 13, 2014 submit a list of nine different public officers who are eligible members for nomination to the board. 

The agreement states that all employee associations and trade unions should meet before the October 20 at 9am at the boardroom of NALCGPWU to review the nominations submitted to the secretariat. And the nine with the highest number of nominations shall be taken as duly appointed as trustees in terms of the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund rules. 

“In the event that the process of nomination outlined above does not result in any person getting more nomination than the other or in nine persons having more nominations than the rest of the nominees, the trade unions and employee associations shall then vote on a procedure to elect the nine employee representatives provided for in the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund rules. In respect of the vote on the procedure to be used to elect trustees where such need arises each employee association shall be entitled to one vote,” the agreement says. 

It says the decision of the majority shall prevail in respect of what procedure shall be used where the need to elect trustees arises, and that a person appointed by the trade unions/employee associations shall chair the meeting.

The agreement further said that each trade union/employee association should have one vote in respect of the person chairing the proceedings. 

Moreover, the employee trustees shall forthwith vacate their offices and no further business of trustees of the Fund shall be carried out until the terms of this settlement have been duly complied with.