Ministries In Illegal Employment Practices
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday September 7, 2020 14:20
The Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) director, Goitseone Mosalakatane said she was aware that some ministries hired employees on temporary basis for a period exceeding 12 months as stipulated by the General Orders.
Mosalakatane was responding to a query from PAC last Wednesday.
Members of the PAC had raised concern that there was a growing number of employees on temporary posts across ministries, some of whom have been holding temporary positions for years.
They wondered why the employees could not be employed permanently or released if their performances are not satisfactory.
“Some ministries have kept people on temporary employment for more than five years. What’s happening, why can’t the posts be filled permanently? Is it procedural?” asked Member of Parliament for Francistown South, Wynter Mmolotsi. According to PAC members, the arrangement was tantamount to exploitation of workers.
Mosalakatane conceded that the ‘practice’ is illegal and inhuman.
“There are those who have worked on temporary contracts for up to five years. It is illegal and inhumane. What they do is, some keep you for 11 months and terminate your contract before it elapses, then give you a new one so it does not look like you have been a temporary employee for more than the stipulated 12 months. It’s unprocedural. The problem is, this is a vote we don’t have control over,” Mosalakatane said.
She explained that the employment for posts in Scales D1 and below has been delegated to ministries hence DPSM has difficulty to have control over it.
She said they are collecting data and analysing it before any decisions could be made.
Meanwhile, Mosalakatane further conceded that her office was struggling to put together information of workers disputes from 2011 as it is scattered all over.
The DPSM boss said when she took over as Director, her interest was to collect information on worker/employee disputes and make follow-ups with affected ministries to ensure that they complied with court orders, but that has proven to be a challenge.