BE OSETU DELIB2 E8 R: OCCUPATIONw Ar Le Hw AND SA3 F2 Ey Th
Edn uo ci atn orsU Members of Botswana Sectors of Trade Union (BOSETU) converged in a twoday forum in Shakawe over the weekend to dialogue on the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS).
InE hR oN peO nI inN rU emE arD ksA tR heT OS mbR udO smT aA n,C
is g , Advocate Stephen Tiroyakgosi said his office is entrusted with safeguarding faA irnn er sse fh ot alo Batn si wat nn a,e asm weo ll asv
r l l ensuring that the workplace is conducive at all times.
He applauded BOSETU for having come up with and pushing for the implementation of the OHS initiative, which he says is a fundamental right that cannot be compromised. He highlighted that the Oe ffr ice et on f ts he et Ov mbn udy sl ml aa ni wd aso one Je ut lyt 3,m 2023 mandated by law to oversee issues ou fi huo mp anm ry igS hts si wt hif cho ee ns abo lep dr tu hp eme th
, o look deeply into thematic areas and how to dt iscp hl ae rgh e thl emw .
He noted also that it is a requirement that thd e wl ee lfh areo ol fa edn ua cac tot rI s ws hi oc cl ono tip nud en to dedicate themselves to driving the el da uc ci atr ii onp am ge en, dy al sn hoa ut lr np bee tao kenM
d ot lightly because theirs is a profession that hi ad s ao ndc coe nv tino us er te oy bo enp efim t mh at si sesw ie nt many ways than one. His main concern was ts hen wi on rku plae ced wr hi, chh hr ea se as ide shom ulo dr bes made comfortable enough so as to enable
ema pn loa yew es st toB members and any other push their mandate with the much needed calmness and clear minds. “Wd ea arT eis nr to ht pc rou ced ssE of flo oos kr ino gt ic nte oS tha en
e compensation/Factories Act, even though our wish at the moment iss tor tryb prm ee venM tingU than compensate. Currently, we don’t have
comc el tu coe nh dt ucf tio ngr backing when it s o mandatory inspection is schools. We just relD yoE ntF heO legS aR inO strT umC eE ntS ofA thN eFA actW orS ieT
l s Act,” said Tiroyakgosi.
He made mention however that the above doD ese nob ta con vea rt cs omu mS ercd ian cenn treo si aa ndc
l government offices, even though there are innocent people in these institutions
activ3 it2 ie0 undertaking work s.
BOSETU Vice President, Mogomotsi
thatS teT acC herA areT iS Motshegwa noted s n most cases overwhelmed by too much work as influenced by uncontrolled loads om fo stC udt en nte spm ep r cl lae ssv HeD sd tan tea d thc ar t ae ss a Union, they have over the years tried
reu ass oo wim thy tS heh gc or va ee rns me enR toU mT eE etS to n t teachers half way by way of availing rn eso oc urco et sl aa tr lee asn te , sg een ii nga thn aa t aw ss it t sa taB ndd s nom we my os st ofo tha ec eu qd ue ipms ena tn ua sew ds ho asB become so outdated and harmful to users.
To date, he said teachers are exposed to hen alo ti ht ha ar zi arp ds sa asd thn ea ss tt ils ue sr ee chn ai lk’ bs or are dk
y l to share notes and other assignments to st tuo dg ene tn s. Hd en ca iten di ta heg Coa vb id Et ra ai s as tr ime ed where they lost members in high numbers an si td hen ri ef wl ea rc ei nr oi Sp HEm oft ficu eo rsh tt hi en,W w. hn icho led to the Union devising plans on how to po rotem cte ths ey irs own no Tt ha ec Vu Pd poe ine teh dt oun thg an ti
t this therefore calls for the domestication of ILO Conventions, adding the expectation isw ss ut cho tB
hat issues of OHS welfare should go hand in enE aS bleO tB eacL heL rsA produO t: o confid ctT work and be as ive bb
e.
He added that another c inB mD osN caC seE ta: kF enE fR
t s or unavailability of food ratio which often leads to st red leE as“ed: wE ayM bE efoH
re kn since they cannot concent isD stomachs. al8 wa- ys7 te: WheE naT ll tA hisD hap
achers who suff their daily schedule is affe adding to their already e leA velsR
.
Just recently, he said the BOS caR meU uT p wS ithO aB se trh atT egic which the demands of me mB et,d an moo nc ge ss tte heh mt tho ef
iss work. “The issue is to protec ths ar t thb eym de on’m tgn eto exn plu oite inn a mr ae rac thn oo nc ms ane nu es r ti hen OHS issue.”
Most importantly he said th do wew ono as dvu oc cao cf yt isa suh
ll es, to benefit all of their stru te ol bn e ai ddn reu sse eh dt thp rl oue gh h th advocacy on salary adju ms oo stp od them ir mf en mi ben rsa
f r ha on same scales for years n he ep shp aa reh ds ti hat ta thh eyw wf io
ll al financial perspective as n thS atE theM ir meH mbT e- rsB arU eS chal
Secretary for Education, Research and Training oBf tohtesfwacat nthatSmeocsttofrstheomf hEadveuecvaentorcsonTvernatidones Uas naimoantter
and those of of urgency,” said hand so as to appeared in courts as a result of financial the VP. ently do their mismanagement. He was of the view that For her part BOSETU Secretary for OHS
TO: ALL BOSETU Members
as they should this alone often leads to mental health and Monica Legwale said there’s urgent need
ALL Member of the Public
has effect on work performance. for schools to hold fast to OHS, as well oncern that is as to ensure that it is reasonably put into granRteEd Fis: tShEe CTOheNUDnioBnOreTceSnWtly AlaNunAcheSdEaCfTinaOncRialSOpraFctEiceD. SUheCsAaiTd OheRr oSffTiceRhAasDtEo dUatNe ns in schools, literacy programme, which is geared at recorded over 9 000 cases of mental udents being teaching members financial literacy. In health amongst their members, adding that
THEME: “Education and Sustainable Development in Southern Africa”
ock off time addition to that, a business exposition was numbers might grow if OHS is not fully rate on empty also held in Maun in the past month. Top implemented. pens, he said it of the discussion during the expo was to
DATE: 7 - 8 December 2023
er the brunt as encourage members to open other streams Currently, Legwale says the number of cted, therefore of income for them to effectively fend for established cases of mental health stands levated stress their families. at 2401, and this includes both males and
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
females. She said the main reason why Another stress reliever for members they had to regroup was to encourage ETU leadership according to Motshegwa was for them to stakeholder participation among other plaTn htehroBugOh SEmaTkeUusRe oefstehaerBcIBh IansnurdanDce eBvroekleorapgemetnhitngCs, ocomnsmideirtintgeethactoisrsdueias lolfyOHinSvarietes interested parties to submit abstracts
mbers will be for them to secure their properties because relatively new in schools and other places offohrotuhrseofsecond BOSETU Research Symposium. The purpose of this Symposium is to promote and motivate
ue the employer only secures institutional of work. “The time has come for us as t employees so houses and not property. stakeholders to hold hands and collaborate d. Ifutnheiyownormk embers and Batswana in generalintoaddcroesnsidngucthtesresisesauerschbe. cTauhseisthweill help to establish and analyse current
it becomes an He decried that to date numbers of truth is we need voices from all spheres,”
issues concerning Botswana’s education system and welfare of teaching practitioners. Research is crucial for
indiscipline in schools are escalating at an said Legwale. alarming rate, something which he says
trade union management to develop strategies and policies. It can also help determine urgent union priorities
ey are going to has become a worrying factor taking into The two-day forum ended with a panel whicthhias thofpoecduscoonnsidweraotirokn ethrast’mionstesrcheosotls haanvednoawspidrisactuisosinons. aMnd oarewiemllnpesos rtdayntwlyhe,rempirically evidence-based research will
ctures. Issues been turned into ungovernable places. He members were encouraged to try reduce is phlaenlipncltuhde usnaiidobnotlheOaHdSearnsdhlaipbortoissbueasrsghoauilnd gaondwnorekpglaocteiacotneflwictitahndempropmlooteyearsgoodver conditions of work and welfare from
stments since parallel and take centre stage and for them social environment that favors all.
an informed position. Without empirical findings from research, trade unions may fail to form a clear overview
ve been stuck to benefit the workforce. ow. In addition She said many at times the workplace has
of what is happening in the education system of Botswana.
so address the “Conventions were made at the been turned into a toxic places as most umbers show International Labor Organization, and so people have lost the humanity aspect of lenged in view my wish is for countries to ratify these their lives.