BOFEPUSU�s 4% Salary Increment Hearing On Tuesday
Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday April 3, 2017 15:44
Justice Tshepo Motswagole is set to hear the BOFEPUSU’s urgent application that seeks to suspend the implementation of increments and adjustments at least until April 7, when the outcome of another related case, is announced by the same judge.
April 7 will see Motswagole eventually deliver judgment on the scope of the Public Service Bargaining Council (PSBC), as to whether it covers all public servants, even non-BOFEPUSU members, as BOFEPUSU believes while government argues that the PSBC cannot and was not meant to negotiate for everyone in the public service.
The matter before Motswagole has delayed the sitting of the PSBC specifically for salary negotiations as government parties used it to reason they would not start any salary talks while there is a pending matter at the courts, unless BOFEPUSU withdrews.
However, BOFEPUSU refused to withdraw the matter arguing that it is only about the scope of the PSBC and had nothing to do with salary talks.
Notwithstanding that the government went ahead and implemented their four percent salary increment to non-BOFEPUSU workers after the Industrial Court ruled in their favour in a case that also saw Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) opposing BOFEPUSU’s application.
According to BOFEPUSU, the matter is more than just about the salary increment but more importantly about safeguarding the integrity of the bargaining council as a democratic institution that needs to be hallowed by the employer.
BOFEPUSU argues that the unilateral announcements of salary increments without coming to the table through the PSBC undermines the institution.
Meanwhile, Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU), a member of the BOFEPUSU has issued a statement saying that they expect salary negotiations to begin in earnest as soon as the April 7 judgment is delivered.
BOFEPUSU also expects the salary talks for the last two financial years to be concluded as soon as the April 7 judgment is delivered.