Union leaders scolded for overstaying

FRANCISTOWN: Executive secretary of the Southern African Trade Union Coordination Council (SATUCC), Mavis Koogotsitse has expressed her frustrations about the lack of accountability and succession plans for some of the local trade unions.

She was amongst key speakers at the Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) central executive committee (CEC) meeting in Palapye this week.

The history of local trade unions is littered with tales of leaders who do not want to let go their positions because they are financially rewarding. Some of the leaders have even been accused of manipulating the constitution or rules governing their respective unions to ensure that they prolong their stay in power.

“Let us have succession plans and not have same people occupying leadership positions. Let us give others a chance. We cannot be experts in everything. Let us identify different talents within the unions and build the capacity of people who can represent workers well. We need to change and re-set our mind-set,” Koogotsitse said.

She warned that overstaying in power give birth to hostility in trade unions. This she said, results in unions losing their sense of purpose. In the recent past some members have even taken their leaders to court arguing that they have overstayed in their positions or trying to alter the rules to extend their stay.

The executive secretary also emphasised that unions must restructure their operations, do a vigorous assessment of their state, and evaluate whether they are still relevant and service their members adequately. She further posited that unions must also review their constitutions as a matter of urgency to align them to the 21st century labour dynamics.

“We should also look at our internal governance, politics and corruption within the union and guard against anything that divides us instead of bringing us closer together,” she said.

Most notably, some of the leaders have often been accused of corruptly enriching themselves with union funds than serving the interests of their members. Koogotsitse did not spare the government in her address either. She noted that because of the unruly attitude of the government towards labour issues, Botswana is far from achieving the decent work agenda.

“For example, the labour offices across the country are poorly resourced, and mediators work under poor conditions including physical conditions. To compound on these matters, there is no internet connectivity for use by mediators and arbitrators and no access to computers and printing facilities,” she said.

She elucidated that owing to the unsupportive environment by government, aggrieved workers end up having to wait for over 30 days after their cases have been referred to the labour department, which is contrary to the provisions of the Trade Disputes Act.

“The effect of this is that their cases are compromised from an early stage in legal terms,” she further said. She also lamented that structures which are supposed to facilitate consultations between government and unions such as the Labour

Advisory Board (LAB),

Minimum Wage

Advisory Board

(MWAB) and

High-Level Consultative Council (HLCC) are not functional. According to her, this means that some critical decisions are taken by government without due consultation with social partners being the workers.

Another critical issue raised by Koogotsitse at the

CEC relates to the status of the draft employment and labour relations law, which has been sitting with the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) for a long time. Her fear is that the proposed law which is perceived to be progressive could end up in the shelves.

Another key element of Koogotsitse’s speech was that government should head calls to review the minimum wage, particularly for the private sector.

She said that the move will improve the lives of the working poor as well as improve the middle class and reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.

“It does not make sense to have minimum wage of P2,500 for public service employees and students’ allowance of about P1,900 whilst the general minimum wage for employees in the private sector is P1,084.”