BURS Withdraws Manual Workers Recognition

BURS strike.PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE
BURS strike.PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE

The Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS) has withdrawn its recognition of the National Amalgamated Local and Central Government and Parastatal Workers Union (NALCGPWU) as a collective bargaining agent in the workplace after it was found to have fell short of meeting the minimum threshold, but Manual Workers Union CEO Johnson Motshwarakgole on Friday said they are not taking the matter lying down and have launched a court action against the BURS decision which is to be determined Tuesday at the Court of Appeal.

Motshwarakgole is not amused after his Union was made to be spectators throughout the bargaining for salaries and conditions of service at the BURS, that ran from September to November, where rivals, Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU), oversaw the whole process alone.

An internal memorandum dated November 23, 2016 addressed to all the heads of divisions, general managers, regional managers and all the BURS employees and copied to the secretary general of the NALCGPWU from the Director of Human Resources at BURS Mukani Pelaelo, stated that the union was de-recognised as it does not meet the one-third threshold required in terms of Section 48(1) of the Trade Unions and Employers Organisation (TUEOA). The withdrawal of recognition means that BURS has terminated its relationship with the workers’ Union on all aspects as envisaged in terms of Section 48B(1) to (4) of TUEOA. The letter also indicated that the last month of union deductions was December 31, 2016.

Editor's Comment
The people have spoken

In fact, early election results in some areas across the country, speak to large voter turnout which suggests that voters crowded at polling stations to decide appropriately. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) revealed that 80% of the 1,037,684 people who had registered to vote turned up to exercise their right.It’s unfortunate that at the time of cobbling this editorial comment, results had just started trickling in. We recognise that...

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