BMWU appeals to Govt to utilise PSBC
Onalenna Kelebeile | Wednesday April 26, 2017 15:30
The BMWU president Jack Tlhagale told Mmegi that if the two parties could engage constructively, they would be able to explore areas of mutual interest in good faith, thereby avoiding Courts of law as much as possible.
He said as BMWU, they have realised that Government harasses BOFEPUSU and believes that going to Court each time they are supposed to engage would weaken the federation and drain its coffers.
“Government must have faith in the PSBC and believe in it instead of viewing it is a source of problems. Otherwise, it would not work. Continuously seeking Court intervention is a sign of the forum not working or members not having confidence in the forum,” he said.
Tlhagale said what is currently happening is a sign of a fearful Government who disregards the other party. He said for the parties to bypass the forum, it has the potential of causing chaos in the country and stressed that Government must commit to have the bargaining council work.
“If the PSBC is given a chance, it would be able to address the problems affecting civil servants. It is a very important forum,” he said.
BMWU believes that for the bargaining council to be effective, there has to be dialogue between Government as an employer, and trade Unions through BOFEPUSU.
Tlhagale said issues of non-unionised workers and threshold of a stage the Union should qualify to be in the bargaining council should also form part of the agenda of the bargaining council.
“Solutions should come out of engagements not Courts,” he said.
He noted that the PSBC is a mutual interest forum where issues should be subjected to and allows the parties to explore all available options, but said it is unfortunate that each time the parties engage issues are taken to Court.
“Government must have tolerance on issues and find a solution and the bargaining council must be allowed to sit and deal with its mandate. We condemn the Government for undermining and sidelining the bargaining council and its anti-union tendency in dealing with BOFEPUSU as a party to the collective bargaining forum.
It seems that there is no end in sight that would allow the forum to perform its function and to deliver on its mandate,” he said.
Tlhagale said there is no clear explanation why Government does not believe in the bargaining council and thinks that the Court should substitute the forum.
He said this amounts to abdication of responsibility on the part of Government negotiators, lack of sensitivity to the workers’ plight and said it sets a bad precedence to other employers in the country.
“We therefore, as BMWU, appeal to Government as the employer not to sideline the bargaining council. We believe that constructive engagements by the parties in the bargaining council can lead to better labour standards and improved productivity in the public service.
Experience has shown that Courts can only serve to harden the relationship resulting in the inevitable loss of employee morale and deterioration of service delivery by the public sector,” he said.
He called on the two parties to go back to the negotiating table to progress the negotiations for good industrial relations and added that if Government were to review the Public Service Act, it would still have to engage the same forum.