Labour Unions Unhappy With Presidential Task Team

The labour sector is contemplating pulling out representation in the COVID-19 Presidential Task Team, as it blames the task force team for the growing death toll of teachers. Botswana Federation of Public Private and Parastatal Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) deputy secretary-general Ketlhalefile Motshegwa said the labour movement is strongly looking at its position in the task team, with a view to pull out. Motshegwa was speaking during the launch of the BOFEPUSU Workers Charter on Friday.

According to Motshegwa, their position in the task team has no meaning as there is no social dialogue within the task force team, headed by coordinator

Dr Kereng Masupu. The Presidential Task Team was set up to coordinate the country’s response to COVID-19. “Seabe sa rona in the task team has no meaning. We are looking at our position in the task team with a view to making a decision,” Motshegwa said. Motshegwa added that the Presidential Task Force Team does not take advice, nor does it listen to anyone.

He stated that Masupu’s team is uncontrollable and does not account to anyone including the Ministry of Health and Wellness, as such should take responsibility for teachers’ COVID-19 related deaths.

He said the task team has ignored the federation’s advice that teachers be treated as frontliners and be among the first to be vaccinated before re-opening of schools. However, he said that the advice has been ignored by the task force team. Earlier in March, it was reported that a record 24 teachers had perished from COVID-19 in just two weeks, with the teacher unions pleading with relevant authorities to intervene and temporarily close schools as they feared the number would swell. The teacher unions said their findings revealed that teacher deaths surpass any of the other frontline workers.

However, they expressed worry that the COVID-19 Task Force was noncommittal on the issue of prioritising teachers in the roll-out plan of the COVID-19 vaccine. The trade unions have explained that teachers are at high risk of contracting the virus, as they teach many students. They are also worried that schools are in shambles in terms of compliance with COVID-19 protocols.