Manual Workers challenge DCEC in court

Last month NALCGPWU otherwise known as Manual Workers Union notified the Attorney General of its intention to sue after the DCEC management instructed workers to resign from the union. Since December 2013 the union has been receiving resignation letters from members who are DCEC employees. This is as a result of the new section 5C of the Corruption and Economic Crime Act, 2013. The new section forbids DCEC employees to become union members.

“This provision is an unreasonable limitation of our client’s right to organise at the DCEC and it is a violation of section 13 (1) of the Constitution of Botswana...” wrote attorney Tshiamo Rantao on behalf of the union. Rantao also said the new DCEC section is an unjustifiable limitation of the right to join a union of one’s choice. He added said it also flies in the face of the provisions of the more relevant Acts of Parliament.