BOGOWU�s Response To State Of The Nation Address

Correspondent | Monday November 27, 2017 15:18

Therefore, we found it fit and befitting to respond and share with Batswana our knowledge and experiences with the President himself, his Government more importantly our views both as a union and union leadership. Firstly, it would be best if we start by Employer-Employee relations the anchor of Human Resource Management.

The relationship between our Government under his leadership and our union has always been of great mutual respect and benefits based on good faith and founded on principle of honesty and understanding. Out of many examples I will only pick two.

One being when we needed an increase, the Government had asked us to understand that there was no money and we understood and did not embark on industrial action, similarly when we pleaded with Government under his leadership not embark on mass retrenchment his Government acceded to our request hence the reason why the considerable number of employees are still not greatly affected, especially cleaners and other cadres . Two, after Government took a decision not award three per cent and four cent respectively,we made a request on air at Duma FM, the same way we had requested the same Government after the dismissal of essential services employees was confirmed by one of our highly respected high courts to forgive and re-employ them again. This can be attested to by those employees and /or at least the records either at DPSM or the Ministry of Health and Welness. 

Did the Government listen? Oh yes just to mention but a few. These are signs of positive employee relations. It is without a shadow of doubt befitting to share with other Batswana how as a union and leadership we have enjoyed working with your highly respected office and interacting with yourself. Personally, to share some advice, engage each other and make specific requests. This indeed demonstrates the degree to which your Government through your higher office and yourself have the genuine interest of Batswana and the workforce in particular. Your office door has always been opened and accessible to us and Batswana at large just like that of the current Vice President, His Honour Mr Mogweetsi  Eric Masisi, This hard-earned much envied Employer-Employee relations which is well managed and handled with greater  care and due attention between your good  Government as an Employer and us as labour movement dates way way back when you sent the then His Honour the late Vice President Mr Sebogudi Momphati Merafe to officially open our first ever delegates conference held in Bobonong in 2009. May his soul rest in peace. Through your leadership with due respect you made sure that considerable number of employees were not and are still not greatly affected by retrenchment. We as the BOGOWU union wish you well and all the best.

Challenges and very perturbing situations range from the rate at which some most senior officials are sabotaging the Government to continuing to bring its name into disrepute. Some Permanent Secretaries, Deputy Permanent Secretaries, Corporate Services, Senior Managers HR and Corporate Services and Council Secretaries, their Deputies and Council Attorneys are turning people against the Government, their very employer, making the Government appear to be number  one law breaker at the expense of junior officers being unfairly transferred as punishment and others denied promotion. However there are Permanent Secretaries who are without doubt doing their best but still suffer sabotage by those who want to take over from them. Appropriate actions need to be taken promptly in order to curb the undesirable development.

Kaboda Phillip

General Secretary

BOGOWU