BOSETU, DPSM reach settlement

Baboki Kayawe | Friday June 9, 2017 16:42

The lawyers representing the two parties are currently in the process of compiling a settlement. Lobatse Judge Godfrey Nthomiwa has given time to engage on terms and return to court on August 7, 2017. As part of the negotiation process, union members on the list submitted before Court must produce certified copies of transcripts and certificates to BOSETU headquarters.

The case is about what the teacher union terms discrimination against their members whom they believe deserve to be paid scarce skills given that the many Business Studies and Accounting teachers employed in junior and secondary school are foreign nationals. This, the union argues testified there is shortage in the two fields. According to the filing notice, dated March 2017, BOSETU is requesting that the DPSM pay scarce skill allowances to teachers who are members of the applicant’s Union, holding degree in Accounting and related qualifications in accordance with DPSM circular savingram of December 2, 2015.

Alternatively, an order declaring that the claimants being holders of Diploma or Degree in Accounting And Business Accounting AAT/Diploma in Accounting, Business Studies or related qualifications   and teaching accounting and business studies or commerce perform accounting duties and are eligible to be paid scare skill as allowance as per the circular savingram dated December 2, 2015 and one issued in August 10, 2015.

This was subsequent to a skills review audit in November 2009, which also covered holders of the AAT qualifications. “Moreover, in April 2013 another savingram was circulated to all ministries to pay diploma holders in accounting and business studies scarce skills allowance effective from April 1, 2013. Employees holding diploma in accounting and business studies were erroneously omitted in the savingram of DPSM dated April 23, 2013.”

The notice also indicated that on March 31, 2014 the then director of DPSM, Carter Morupisi issued a savingram authorising public service employees holding diploma in accounting and business studies to earn scarce skills allowance that effected on April 1, 2014.

The 2015 savingram authorising employees holding degree in accounting or related qualifications to be paid scarce skills allowance, this resulted in school bursars getting the scarce skills allowance as well, initially they were left out but their counterparts under the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning were paid.