BOFEPUSU doubts BDP commitment on labour issues
Chakalisa Dube | Thursday July 27, 2017 16:11
The recently elected ruling party secretary general, Mpho Balopi last week told a press briefing that the BDP was mapping out a strategy to mend relations with the trade unions.
The BDP even appointed a new labour sub-committee made of high profile government figures, which part of its mandate will be to mend the party and government’s severed relations with the unions.
Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Edwin Batshu leads the labour subcommittee. Tshenolo Mabeo who is the Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Eric Molale are also part of the su-committee.
BOFEPUSU deputy secretary general, Ketlhalefile Motshegwa yesterday said that the BDP labour sub-committee lacked the credibility to build better relations with trade unions.
“They have the likes of Batshu, Mabeo and Molale who are responsible for employment issues in Botswana. This is a worrying factor to us.” “Mabeo is currently the minister of employment. For instance, if we are not happy with him and then when we engage the BDP labour sub-committee for better understanding we will certainly find him there (at the BDP sub-committee) and it is likely that we will not be listened to,” he said, adding that the above scenario applied to the other two ministers.
Motshegwa added that BOFEPUSU held a view that Molale through his ‘untouchable’ character, is the reason the relationship between the trade unions and government has reached an all time low.
According to him, that is another reason they doubt that the BDP labour sub-committee will help government build better relations with trade unions. Molale is considered ‘the number one enemy’ of the workers by BOFEPUSU.
“Batshu is the one who amended the controversial Trade Dispute Act, which landed government at the ILO. That is why we also doubt the credibility of the BDP labour subcommittee,” he said.
Mabeo recently appeared before the International Labour Organisation (ILO) where Botswana’s case with regards to contravening certain conventions of the former was heard.
BOFEPUSU’s thinking is that the BDP could have appointed reputable people when it comes to articulating labour issues, Motshegwa noted.
“A labour sub-committee needs people who can objectively, independently and professionally advise the government.
Those who are in the committee should not be in government.” This is not the first time the ruling BDP has made public its overtures with local trade movements. Since the 2015 elective congress, the BDP has always publicly maintained that it wants to build relations with trade unions.
Motshegwa said that even after the 2015 congress, they attempted to meet some of the BDP leaders to discuss issues affecting the workers, but they were not welcomed.
“That is why we are also not optimistic that the BDP and by extension, government will change its attitude towards workers,” he explained.