BOFEPUSU decries poor labour relations
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Friday May 1, 2020 16:05
The observation was made by the federation’s president Johannes Tshukudu on the occasion to commemorate the Labour Day. He stated that it is a serious concern that 54 years since independence, Botswana still fails to produce goods and services to adequately meet the demands of her small population.
Tshukudu also said while workers face many challenges, it was an even a worse situation that frontline workers started the war against Covid-19 with limited or no Personal Protective Equipment to deal with the problem.
That, he said, exposed the workers to direct danger of contacting the virus. Tshukudu asserted that the Covid-19 pandemic has proven how vulnerable workers especially those in the private sector are.
He said it was evident that a number of companies rushed to lay off staff immediately when the country imposed extreme social distancing regulations.
“This pandemic has proven to us that this Republic has a lot to do to claim its sovereignty as an economically and politically independent state. As a Country we need to be serious and effective in our measures for recovery and sustainability with more focus on vulnerable groups such as low paid workers, self-employed, informational sector, small medium micro enterprises,” Tshukudu said.
Still on the matter, Tshukudu said there is a fundamental requirement for advancement of economic development, social justice and peaceful industrial relations democratization of the workplace, including the enhancement of skills of workers, partial insurance of workers against unemployment. This, he said, could be achieved if there is an Unemployment Insurance Fund in place.
He said as a move to cater for creators of the country’s wealth, government should put in place labour laws that protect and safe guard the interests and rights of workers against exploitation by employers.
Furthermore, he urged workers to use this day to recollect and prepare to claim their rightful participation in the socio-economic and political governance of this country, as politics cannot be left to politicians alone.
BOFEPUSU commemorated the Labour Day 2020 under the theme; Workers Unite To End Covid-19 And Gear Up For Botswana’s Total Economic Independence.