Workers politics, politics of society-Dipogiso

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Monday November 22, 2010 00:00

Twenty-five-year-old Keaoleboga Dipogiso, a graduate of Political and Administrative studies at UB who is campaigning for the position of secretary in the international relations office of the Botswana Land Board, Local Authorities and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU), says workers should be at liberty to take their issues outside the workplace. This, he says, can only be attained if they could understand the cornerstones of Unionism in three folds; setting the workers' agenda, participation in circular politics and developing cross border strategies in advocating for workers' rights.

His campaign message calls for embracing international thoughts and ILO's Conventions to unionism in Botswana. He is notorious for one thing - organising masses of people and shaping their issues into progressive struggles.

The UB Student Union hall is the birthplace of his negotiation and dialogue skills as it was there where he led various negotiations, organising events and disciplinary hearing teams that solved difficult leadership problems.

He strongly believes yellow unionism has no place in today's workplace; hence his advocacy for a shift to progressive unionism as the former generally rejects class struggle, strikes and meaningful participation in a democratic struggle. In his view progressive unionism is the way forward. 'Workers must join the national democratic revolution by joining forces with other democratic forces against any kind of injustice, oppression and maladministration,' he says. 

Dipogosi believes he has all it takes to represent workers' interests as per international standards. As the external relations secretary, that is if his campaign message, 'Embracing the International Consciences to Unionism, Advancing our Advocative Credence' earns him the baton, he will ensure that his union performs in accordance with the International Labour Organisations conventions and other international treaties.

Propelled by the need for adoption of international standards in the local approaches, Dipogiso contends that as globalisation sweeps across nations, it elevates the national principles beyond local controls hence the need to organise into cross-border forums for mass actions and tripartism to stimulate extreme contemporary capitalism.

Most importantly, his intention to contest for the position whose outcome will be decided at the union's fourth National Elective Congress end of November- is the need to realise ILO's Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalisation and development of policies in pursuit of the Thaba-Thula Declaration. Under the latter, Public Sector unions undertook to take clear positions on issues of national interest without fear or favour.

'I strongly believe that national unions must be able to develop viable cross-border strategies and political alliances to restrict deterioration of critical labour standards and basic living values invited on the worker by impacts of a globalizing economy,' he asserts. He says cross-border activism must elevate the national democratic revolutions and reproduce them into substantial mass actions opposing imperialist tendencies and exploitative ideals of a conniving international bourgeois. 

Dipogiso says since the process is new to the local context, his office will act as a research base for information sourcing relating to international labour issues.

'We are lagging behind in this aspect, we need to test government on its performance regarding such conventions and treaties, we also need to inscribe the working class ideology and contextualise its specific modules for perusal by the workers,' he stresses.  Carrying a number of responsibilities on his shoulders, he is currently the Boteti Branch Deputy Chairperson and interim Regional Publicity Secretary for Region 2 that includes Boteti, Serowe, Bobirwa, Mahalapye and Palapye branches; Dipogiso says representing the workers interests is a painful undertaking. He said one needs to be patient and committed adding that there is need for meticulous guard against opportunism in his beloved Union. 

'We have true icons of the working class struggle and few unfortunate reactionaries. The challenge is to build a conscious, focused and committed workers fortress that understands the cornerstones of unionism,' he says.

He is also of the view that unions must also address national socio-economic and political issues since workplace issues are intertwined into the economic values of the nation.

Dipogiso believes that workers' politics are politics of society. His political history speaks volumes about his commitment to 'rights-based governance'. This is the same young man former President Mogae talked about while addressing UB students about three years ago when he said that one political analyst is enough for the country after he criticized his leadership of failing to address graduate unemployment and poverty.