BOSETU target 25,000 members by 2025

Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) targets an increase of the general members by 3,000 to 25,000 by the year 2025. BOSETU secretary general, Tobokani Rari said this during the vehicle hand over ceremony by the BOSETU subsidiary entities, PEUBO Investments (PTY)LTD and BOFUS Insurance Botswana (BiB), held on Monday (April 22, 2024) in Gaborone.

BOSETU’s main objective is to improve the working conditions and welfare of its members. The trade union further advocate for better salaries improved working conditions, job security, and training opportunities for its members. BOSETU also engages in collective bargaining on behalf of its members to negotiate better terms and conditions of employment.

Rari said the union since its establishment in 1986 has been head above shoulders among other trade union and should be a trade union of choice for all the teaching professionals in the country. “BOSETU has 22,000 members as we speak and our target is that by the year 2025 we should exceed 25,000 of total membership. We are a vibrant union, you hear us everyday and if we represent our members we do so without fear o r favour and we do so without any flinch because we feel that, that is what trade unions are made for.

The present that has been given to us in form of vehicles today we will even assist more to do that and take the services to the general membership,” said Rari.

He further said this field of the trade unionism is quite a challenging field because at often the union is in fight with the powers that being (general membership. Rari said in other to pursue the rights and protect the interest of the workers the union needs resources. He said BOSETU took a deliberate decision to set up commercial entities that would assist to pursue the mandate of the trade union.

These entities include, PUEBO Investments, BOSETU SACCOS, BOSETU Insurance Brokers (BiB), Thusanyo Funeral Undertakers, BOFUS and BOSETU Legal Scheme. Rari said the entities were set up to to provide the members with a below the market rate services in all this areas of business.

The other purpose, he said is that trade unions are not profitable and it is the entities of the trade union that made profit and declare dividends for the trade union to be able to pursue the mandate of the workers. “There are two ways in which trade unions protect their members either, firstly by protecting worker rights in the workplace and secondly by ensuring they use their power so that members can access socio-economic benefits a below the market prize.

We are very happy today that we stand here with the entities that we have established now achieving that we have established them for and we would like to leadership and the board of the PEUBO and BiB that they have delivered what we have established them for,” Rari said.

BOSETU has 22,000 members as we speak and our target is that by the year 2025 we should exceed 25,000 of total membership