United we fall, divided we stand
Oarabile Mosikare | Thursday April 30, 2015 17:07
It must attempt, in the first place, to unite, on an industrial basis, all workers (at whatever level of political consciousness) who understand the elementary need to come together and defend and advance their economic conditions,” said the late South African liberation stalwart, Joe Slovo when he properly defined and characterised the role of a trade union from a Marxist-Leninist point.
Slovo’s wise words resonate well with the current labour situation in the country particularly the polarised relationship between Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) affiliates and the Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) as they commemorate Labour Day across the country tomorrow.
The two federations have failed to live up to the words of the German revolutionary Karl Marx in the Communist Manifesto when he said: “Workers of the world unite; you have nothing to lose but your chains.”
It is an open secret that one of BOFEPUSU’s affiliates, Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU), does not see eye-to-eye with the other four being Botswana Landboards and Local Authorities Workers and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU); Botswana Sector of Educators Union (BOSETU); Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) and National Amalgamated Local Central Government and Parastatal Workers Union (NALCGPWU).
Just recently BOPEU informed BOFEPUSU leadership that they would not commemorate May Day under the banner of the federation. This is because, BOPEU argued, they were informed very late, and they were at an advanced stage with their logistics.
This is not the first time BOPEU, arguably the second largest union in the country in terms of membership, boycotted the annual celebrations.
It all started last year when BOPEU bitterly protested about the theme of the celebrations that they felt had political connotations.
The federation was forced to change the theme grudgingly to accommodate their fellow comrades in the struggle, but it was a little bit too late. The leadership of BOPEU had ordered their regions to boycott the commemoration.
But what turned the once close-knit comrades who jointly took part in the mother-of-all public sector strike into bitter foes?
According to BOFEPUSU insiders, the decision to agitate for the regime change and the political decision to endorse the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) by some leaders polarised the relationship.
A week before May Day commemorations last year, BOFEPUSU secretary for education, Samuel Molaodi, endorsed the UDC during the launch of parliamentary candidate for Gabane/Mankgodi Pius Mokgware in Gabane.
Molaodi at the time said the electoral cooperation of the three parties is what Batswana have been crying for over the years. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. In a follow up to Molaodi’s statement, BOFEPUSU secretary general, Tobokani Rari, distanced the federation from Molaodi’s utterance.
Apparently, the issue was still under discussion and Molaodi’s statement was premature. With that, he had succeeded in driving a wedge between other affiliates and BOPEU.
Towards the last general elections, the BOFEPUSU leadership met at BTU headquarters to formalise the endorsement of UDC.
It was at this meeting that BOPEU leadership walked out when the other affiliates endorsed the coalition of Botswana National Front, Botswana Movement for Democracy and the Botswana People’s Party.
The meeting was followed by a press release signed by Rari publicly acknowledging the endorsement, which culminated in a rebuttal from the former BOFEPUSU president, Masego Mogwera, who is also an executive member of BOPEU.
In the statement Mogwera distanced the federation from the endorsement of UDC. The acrimony did not end there. By February this year it was at fever pitch during the elective congress in Gaborone when BOPEU nominees withdrew from congress elections.
The BOPEU vice president, Sikalame Seitiso, was nominated by his union for the position of the federation president, but the other four BOFEPUSU affiliates did not second his nomination.
Seitsiso was then nominated and seconded for the position of vice president but declined.
The trend repeated itself for other positions and other nominees were elected unopposed.
After the congress BOPEU decried that the elections were unconstitutional as the congress without any constitutional amendments four union leaders agreed on block voting contrary to the constitution of the federation.
Whether BOPEU would pull out of the federation, which is unlikely according to some labour activists, time would tell.
BLLAHWU purges
While it is expected that unions should lead by example as adherents of working class ideology, this is not the case at BLLAHWU.
Currently, the BLLAHWU is busy purging members of the executive central committee who are opposed to the manner in which the union is run.
There are two pending cases at the High Court involving BLLAHWU and its dismissed president, Samuel Kedise, and suspended treasurer general, Yarobi Motswaiso. BLLAHWU wants the court to declare that Kedise is not a member and a president of the union. The union argued that Kedise consequently lost his presidency because his membership of BLLAHWU lapsed on account of his failure to pay his subscription fees for a cumulative period of over three months.
On the other hand Motswaiso was suspended on ground that she had violated the constitution of the union by committing acts of gross misconduct.
There is a school of thought within BLLAHWU that the secretary general Ketlhalefile Motswaiso and his deputy Keaoleboga Dipogiso have cemented a firm grip on the union.
The two are considered leading lights within BLLAHWU executive central committee as far as the working class ideology and socialism is concerned. Other members dance to the tune of the duo and if they do not comply, the Great Stalinist purge is applied without mercy.
BOFEPUSU vs BFTU
The 2014 BOPEU conference adopted a resolution to initiate worker unity through a merger or a working relationship between BOFEPUSU and its rival BFTU. The union also had wished to table another motion similar to the aforementioned during the BOFEPUSU congress this year, but all the motions were technically blocked. It was argued the motions were sent to the BOFEPUSU secretary general very late.
This was despite the fact that the congress itself was held outside the stated date in the constitution. The term of office of BOFEPUSU leadership had expired last August. It was alleged that BOPEU had threatened to cancel its subscription to BOFEPUSU if they did not call the congress. Because BFTU is the only recognised centre legally, it has offered BOFEPUSU High Level Consultative Centre (HLCC) seats in the tripartite. It has also offered BOFEPUSU to seat on the Labour Advisory Board and Wages Policy Board.
Thanks to BFTU, the BOPEU president, Andrew Motsamai, now seats in the Labour Advisory Board.
BOFEPUSU cannot nominate its members to seat on these boards without the help of BFTU because it is a sectoral federation with a place in the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM).
But a merger between BFTU and BOFEPUSU is a mirage since they will commemorate the International Labour Day separately tomorrow.
As Marx said centuries ago, workers must unite because they have nothing to lose but their chains.