'Mother of all strikes' off

TSHIRELETSO MOTLOGELWA
Staff Writer | Tuesday September 7, 2010 00:00

 

But it has since emerged that the strike has been called off as negotiations with the Department of Public Service Management (DPSM) continued into the  night yesterday.

The unions say they have been at loggerheads with the employer over many issues among them the establishment of the bargaining council, the thresh-hold of allowing unions recognition, the two days the unions say are owed their members, leave concession for workers who converted to industrial class and teachers' working hours.  

However, they have been major differences between these unions, their rivals in the Botswana Federation of Trade Unions-aligned Trainers and Allied Workers Union (TAWU)and Botswana Government Workers Union (BOGOWU) and the DPSM over what the issues are.

Yesterday the Directorate released a statement arguing that the bargaining council was still an issue of negotiation, dismissing talk of a deadlock. DPSM says it had agreed with the unions that it would reply their proposal on the bargaining council by yesterday, adding 'We therefore do not understand how a deadlock could have been reached before DPSM has responded'.

DPSM says the government is working on ways to raise funds to pay all arrears owed to the workers, explaining that the new Public Service Act under which the workers are owed was only implemented in May this year.

But the Botswana Land Boards and Local Government Workers Union (BLLAWU) president, Pelotshweu Baeng speaking to Mmegi late last night maintained that the two parties had failed to agree on the major issues of the bargaining council. 'We are maintaining that the threshold says on third of trades (workers in a particular trade) while they are saying that it means one third of employees,' argues Baeng.

Sources revealed last night at around 1030pm that both parties were still deadlocked on this interpretation. Baeng promised that the strike, although off for now, would be back in earnest when all avenues have been exhausted.

Meanwhile the Vice President of TAWU Edward Tswaipe and Secretary General of BOGOWU Kaboda Philip yesterday released a statement distancing themselves from the strike. According to the two unions, the major unions planned to muscle them out of the bargaining council by misinterpreting the threshold definition.

'The real cause of the strike is the draft constitution of the Bargaining Council especially clauses 6.1 on the admission of trade unions to the Council.

The 'Big Five' lately with the assistance of DPSM are of the view that TAWU and BOGOWU despite being recognized unions must be excluded from the Council, in contravention of Section 46 of the new Public Service Act,' reads a statement from the two unions.

BOGOWU and TAWU has called a press conference scheduled for 10 am. Meanwhile the 'Big Five' are expected to issue a statement on their negotiations with DPSM this morning.