In the cross-fire

Edwin Batshu
Edwin Batshu

Labour and Home Affairs minister Edwin Batshu is said to have stunned the Labour Advisory Board meeting held last Thursday when he declared that contrary to media reports, BOFEPUSU is not a labour centre.

BOFEPUSU was not in attendance at the Labour Advisory Board (LAB) meeting convened by deputy chairman Sam Leero in the absence of the chairman Kingsley Sebele. Representing the workers was the Botswana Federation of Trade Union (BFTU), who had also roped in BOPEU to represent public servants. The meeting was also attended by representatives of Business Botswana (formerly BOCCIM) and the government.

Those who attended the Thursday meeting, which came ahead of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) regional gathering in Addis Ababa this week, told The Monitor that Batshu spoke of how rival trade union movements want to get him to take sides but he was not willing to do so. Batshu is also reported to have told the meeting that he had advised BFTU and BOFEPUSU to solve their differences on their own, after BOFEPUSU asked the Minister to intervene.

Editor's Comment
Dear gov't, doctors: Ntwakgolo ke ya molomo

With both sides entrenched in legal battles and public spats, the risk to public health, trust in institutions, and the welfare of doctors grows by the day. It's time for cooler heads to prevail. The government and BDU must return to the negotiating table, not with threats, but with a shared commitment to resolve this crisis fairly and urgently.At the heart of this dispute lies a simple truth: doctors aren't just employees but guardians...

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