BOFEPUSU Withdraws Lawsuit
Oarabile Mosikare | Monday January 25, 2016 16:26
This was in a matter against the Director of Public Service Management (DPSM), the Attorney General (AG) and the Public Service Bargaining Council (PSBC). BOFEPUSU had approached the court after the employer pulled out of negotiations citing the need for verification of BOFEPUSU membership figures, and whether they allow the union to bargain following the departure of Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) recently.
Last week Friday the parties agreed that the PSBC convenes on January 26, 2016 to mutually give progress to the matter. Therefore the matter was withdrawn.
Central to the dispute was that the employer party will not continue with other items on the January 18 meeting agenda as ordered by the Industrial Court. BOFEPUSU believed both figures they submitted, and those from DPSM show that they have met the 1/3 threshold hence negotiations should continue.
According to the court order, BOFEPUSU was to submit their audited membership list to the PSBC by January 8, 2016, and that DPSM was to submit a list of employees covered by the PSBC.
Three days later, the general secretary of the PSBC was to determine whether or not the applicants still have the threshold necessary for them to continue being admitted.
The parties were to meet on January 18 to deliberate on, among other things, the outcome of the verification process carried out by the PSBC and the rules of engagement in respect of the 2016/2017 wage negotiations.