How BOPEU dumped joint agreement with BOFEPUSU
Oarabile Mosikare | Wednesday February 17, 2016 16:04
Last week, the court learnt that BOPEU through its secretary general, Topias Marenga, wrote to the Director of Public Service Management, Ruth Maphorisa, requesting for the total unionised membership numbers under the employ of the DPSM.
BOPEU has taken the four public sector unions and Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) to court challenging the membership of the federation in the Public Sector Bargaining Council (PSBC).
Attorney Omphemetse Motumise for the PSBC and its general secretary, Willard Ulaula, produced Maphorisa’s letter dated December 17, 2015 in court.
This was in response to Marenga’s letter dated December 10, 2015.
“In terms of the constitution of the Bargaining Council any union enjoying workplace recognition may apply for admission into the council provided it has at least one third of the membership of all recognised trade unions, and not one third of unionised employees.
“The total subscribing members for all recognised unions stands at 92,176 as at 16 December 2015. Out of the said number 26,185 are BOPEU subscribers. Please note, however, that these figures do not represent verified membership as required by the provisions of the council’s constitution.
In the event therefore, you wish to obtain verified membership figures you are advised to contact the secretariat of the council,” wrote Maphorisa.
On December 22, 2015 Marenga wrote to Ulaula requesting for verified membership. “The constitution of the PSBC provides for any recognised trade union to apply for admission provided that it meets the minimum requirements as set therein. It is on this note that we submit a request for verified membership.
The information sought is urgent as we intend to lodge soonest an application to council in order for BOPEU to represent its members,” said Marenga.
Ulaula responded to Marenga on January 4, 2016 reminding him that PSBC recognises that BOPEU is one of the public sector trade unions admitted under the ‘acting jointly arrangement’ as per Resolution No. 1 of 2011 dated November 28, 2011.
“Presently, we are not aware of any change of status of your acting jointly arrangement with the other four recognised public service trade unions under the auspices of the Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU)… However, if you submit an application for admission into the Public Service Bargaining Council, you will be required to comply with the provisions of Articles 6.2.1 to 6.2.7 of the PSBC Constitution.
“Once the council receives your application for admission, a new process of verification of trade union membership would be undertaken to determine the applicable threshold required for admission into the council in accordance with provision of Articles 2.5 and 6.1.1 of the PSBC constitution,” explained Ulaula.
Interestingly, the BOPEU lawyer, Joseph Akoonyatse, last Friday told the Industrial Court Judge President Tebogo Maruping that his client has consistently stated that it remains a member of the PSBC. Maruping is expected to give judgement before February 18.