May day not taken seriously-Unionist

LERATO MALEKE
Correspondent | Friday May 3, 2013 00:00

 

In Mochudi, a handful of workers gathered at Linchwe II Secondary School to commemorate the date, whereupon the councillor for Bogare Joseph Setoutwe complained that workers are no longer taking this day seriously. 'This is an opportunity for you to raise your grievances' he said.The theme for this year's celebrations is 'protecting workers rights and unleashing a progressive labour agenda in national politics'.

According to the message presented country-wide on May Day, workers around the country gathered not only to celebrate their might, but to commemorate the bravery of the fallen heroes and heroines, but also to determine their destiny and perfect progressive moves as they take the workers struggle.The union cries that President Ian Khama continues to undermine the legally established Bargaining Council and Consultative structures by pronouncements made at Kgotla meetings with respect to issues that should be dealt with between the employer and employees and that he made unilateral announcements on the issue of public servants engaging in businesses, 'a domain which squarely falls within the conditions of service and purely of bargaining and consultative nature'.  Therefore BOFEPUSU says it is evident from the conduct and attitude of the employer towards negotiations of salary increments and improvement of other conditions of service that the government of Botswana as the employer, is yet to come to terms with the fact that, 'now that the legislation provides for equality and parity between unions as representatives of the workers and the employer at a negotiation table', adding that it is clear that government is still stuck in the olden dispensation of unilateralism in making decisions that concern the employees' conditions of service'.

With this the union further argues that the conduct of government towards negotiations resembles 'unwillingness, reluctance and resistance and that with this kind of attitude 'we feel government is resisting to embrace change and accepting equality at a negotiation table'.BOFEPUSU argues that the labour relations within the public service are at their lowest, 'our liberties as individual workers and trade unions are consistently curtailed by the government with a mastery of the tactic of divide and rule', reads a statement from the union.

Therefore the union says as much as the government of the day has resorted to very repressive and punitive tactics aimed at pinning workers and trade unions into subjectivity and conformity, workers believe that in the noble saying that suffering breeds character and character breeds faith, for faith will not disappoint 'us in the workers struggle'.Moreover, the statement explains that the 2013 theme talks to prioritisation of the two most fundamental objectives of a trade union, protection of workers rights and placing a progressive labour agenda in the national politics. The union sates that these two principles are very much interrelated 'for maximum protection of workers' rights is only attainable if the workers agenda is part of the national politics'.

Moreover BOFEPUSU argues that the current events in Botswana should be read in isolation for the international trade union movement is under attack from neo liberal dispensation, adding that this has been necessitated by reduction of profits to the wealthy as a result of the global recession, 'hence dire consequences for the wage earners'.The union also states that the consequences of the current class struggle leads to unemployment and that in the whole world unemployment statistics remain high and expand continuously. Among other issues is the decent work statistics which BOFEPUSU says are diminishing as casual labour, citing Ipelegeng.

'Lack of collective bargaining agreements leads to the employers' exclusive anti-workers working conditions determination and that social security remains one of the biggest achievements of the worker class, 'on the contrary retirement retirement age is increasing, pensions being reduced; health and water becoming commodities', argues BOFEPUSU.

Regarding privatisation the union says it comes in different forms, citing outsourcing to transform social rights and goods into commodities being sold by private companies and multinational companies and argues that all these result in unemployment and intensification of the exploitation of workers. Further the union argues that in Botswana there are many deaths from occupational diseases and that workers with disabilities result from workplace accidents due to employer's refusal to put in place necessary occupational and health measures in the workplace. 'Downgrading of health systems endanger lives of populations due to lack of coverage of the needs of people, especially the poor and workers and the private companies' initiatives on the health sector remain a great danger to human kind and proper treatment', states the union.

Regarding education BOFEPUSU says there is a declining quality to meet the production needs of the capitalist system system due to limited resources allocated to public system and that there is an increasing defence and war gadgets budgets in Botswana 'of military equipments' contrary, severe economic challenges.'