BOFEPUSU concerned by no implementation of ILO recommendations
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Thursday August 10, 2017 16:56
According to BOFEPUSU deputy secretary, Ketlhalefile Motshegwa nothing has been done since they returned from Geneva, Switzerland almost two months ago.
“We wrote to the Minister of Employment, Productivity and Skills Development, Tshenolo Mabeo, that it is important for the tripartite parties to meet to draw a schedule of implementation of ILO findings and recommendations. We reminded him that we need to come up with a time-bound action plan. The letter has not been responded to,” said Motshegwa.
He said there seems to be contradictions between ministers Mabeo and Eric Molale of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration.
“We have told Mabeo that the toxic source of the sour labour relations in the public service is Molale. He promised to engage with him and organise a meeting between him and the trade unions, which he (Mabeo) would chair, but nothing has happened. We warned him that he is just a junior minister and will not dare a powerful Molale,” he added.
In June this year, Botswana appeared before the ILO Committee of Application of Standards (CAS) on account of violation of Convention on Freedom of Association and The Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining.
This came after the local federations had reported government for amending the Trade Dispute Act, which made as essential service, almost the entire work force in the country. Consequently, the Committee recommended that government should allow Prisons Service employees to unionise in compliance with Convention 87, amend the Trade Unions and Employers Organisations Act to align it to ILO Standards and other national laws, continue to liaise with the ILO Technical Committee for holistic review of Labour Laws in Botswana for alignment to international standards, work in consultation with tripartite partners to develop a time-bound action plan of implementation by ILO and report progress made to the CAS on or before November 2017.
Motshegwa further said it is worrying that after promising the ILO that Botswana is in the process of coming up with a holistic review of the labour laws, Mabeo has not acted on his promise.
He said the current crop of leaders has displayed disrespect and arrogance towards labour laws, adding that there is need for objective and professional leaders in order to mend the relations.