The public sector strike might be over but the labour crisis is not over.
The startling instabilities reported in most government schools just a few weeks after the strike had been suspended are a cause for concern.
Just when things would normalize, uproar has erupted at public schools with many students demanding to be taught by those in the teaching fraternity who are returning from the eight-week long strike.
There are a number of genuine concerns raised by both the employees and the employer.
The teachers are refusing to teach because of the ‘no work no pay’ rule while, on the other hand, the government insists that they should teach curriculum material that was left prior to engaging on a strike.
The legal contention as to who is right between government and the teachers is something that can be provided by the courts and it’s altogether an issue for another day.
However, it is shocking to learn that instead of moving to quell the disturbances at Public Sector Schools, government has instead chosen to amend the Trade Dispute Act in what is clearly a rush to include teachers as Essential Service personnel.
In a communiqu├® sent to various media outlets, government has moved to publish in the Botswana Gazette an amended schedule of the Trade Dispute Act to include teaching, diamond sorting and Veterinary Services.
This is disturbing, to say the least. We would have expected the issues to be subjected to engagement and negotiations before and instead of moving to limit the teachers’ bargaining power.
By passing the Public Service Act of 2008, government was well aware that it was shifting and entering a new phase in Industrial Relations, a phase which, among other things, gives and guarantees employees the right to unionize and bargain in good faith.
It is in this spirit that we had hoped sober negotiations would commence.
We acknowledge that the strike has affected the education sector and put the future of several young learners in jeopardy.Neverthless we feel the move is self-serving, defeatist and nothing but a move to weaken any future strike action. The move, because it does not do anything to address the root causes is bound to backfire, or at the very least end up in failure.
Although government claims its now shifting to include teachers and other cadres in the essential cluster, there is no mention by the same government is mum on the salary compliment of such personnel, which is, to say the least, deplorable. Teachers are a very important player in the economy because they produce doctors, nurses, engineers and economists.
Yet their earnings have turned teachers into a laughing stock.
Teaching has long ceased to be a career of choice.
People go to teaching as a last resort and while therein they are always looking for the first opportunity, nay, excuse out.
These examples are not meant to ridicule the teaching profession but highlight some of the sad realities that many in the teaching profession are faced with.
Apart from the wage problems, housing remains a big problem for those in teaching. This is over and above the fact that there is no inducement despite their efforts in assisting students with sports and recreation activities.
Waking up the next day to change the laws to avert a strike is not the best thing to do.
These grievances require a mature leadership that is less concerned about taking away employees rights to strike and more about engaging teachers with a view to meaningfully address their concerns.
Equally disturbing is the fact that government has chosen to amend the laws without any input from parliament.
Parliament cannot be hailed as the supreme law making body ideally when practically such is not the case.
Finding some obscure legal technicality to justify a hurried amendment is, in our view, senseless.
Parliament has always been central to our democratic ethos and contribution on this amendment cannot be assumed. Relegating parliament to the backroom is a decision that those in the levers of power will one day live to regret.
This issue needs to be debated before parliament and, further, any fruitful solution on the labour unrest will come from negotiations.
Otherwise every trade will end up being declared an Essential Service.
