Govt to blame for rise in trade disputes
Mmegi Editor | Tuesday February 17, 2015 16:45
Just over 5,000 of those cases were resolved, 1,656 were referred to the Industrial Court, and 2,820 were withdrawn.
He said he was concerned at the high number of trade disputes, as they reflected “unpleasant working relations within the various sectors of the economy”.
Of course, the minister was too shy, and too scared to make a public admission that his government has also contributed significantly to the trade disputes.
He is fully aware that over the past five years, the government has dominated courtrooms as a litigant because of its bad attitude towards trade unions, and its disregard for the Public Service Act.
The PSA recognises the Public Service Bargaining Council, but some individuals in government have made it their mandate to ignore the law and unilaterally decide and implement some changes to working conditions for civil servants.
This has resulted in multiple legal actions between government and the civil servants trade unions. The question that immediately comes to mind is who will abide by the law when the government does not? Many employers have taken advantage of the prevailing situation, to exploit workers. They know that when they break the law, there is a chance to ‘get away with murder’.
We urge the minister to first look into his backyard before making a public complaint on poor working relations. He should tell his government to lead by example. The minister should also come up with new ways to resolve trade disputes within the shortest time possible. These can include engagement of more trained lawyers to preside over the disputes.
Meanwhile, the minister said very little about labour inspections to highlight the challenges facing his ministry in this regard. On May Day celebrations last year, Mmegi made shocking findings about a firm where over a hundred workers were forced to share a single toilet that was also malfunctioning.
On a daily basis we receive reports of workers being locked in warehouses throughout the day/night whilst others are not allowed to go to the toilet when nature calls.
The minister should also review the Internship programme, which has become an excuse for some companies to exploit young Batswana, in preference of cheap labour fully paid for by government.
Today's Thought
“We live in a world where unfortunately the distinction between true and false appears to become increasingly blurred by manipulation of facts, by exploitation of uncritical minds, and by the pollution of the language.” - Arne Tiselius