The Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) is planning to disrupt scheduled country-wide meetings to be addressed by the Directorate of Public Service Management Director, Carter Morupisi.
The union claims that it recently succeeded in disrupting a meeting addressed by Morupisi in Letlhakeng. BOFEPUSU is unhappy that Morupisi is discussing civil service salaries outside the agreed bargaining council.
BOFEPUSU Labour Secretary Johnson Motshwarakgole said this week at a press conference that they were not against Morupisi addressing civil servants but the involvement of their structures in his scheduled meetings.
The veteran unionist said they were devising strategies on how they should take Morupisi head on should he continue with the scheduled meetings with their structures included.
“Morupisi has a right to address civil servants, but he should not address them as if he is addressing our structures. We have tried to act responsibly as stakeholders but we have realized that our honesty is being abused and it is time to return fire with fire,” he said. Motshwarakgole accused Morupisi of being disingenuous saying he chose to address civil servants on conditions of service at a time when salary negotiations are ongoing at the┬áBargaining Council.
“Why should he address civil servants while salary negotiations at the Bargaining Council are on? At times when you deal with someone who acts like a madman you should also resort to that kind of attitude to counter his tactics,” said Motshwarakgole.
Motshwarakgole would not be drawn into discussing the strategies that they intend to use against Morupisi saying such a disclosure could derail their plans.
“It is too early to disclose our strategies aimed at disrupting Morupisi’s meetings. But we will be ready for him,” he said.
Contacted for comment Morupisi was at loss as to why the union intends to disrupt his meetings with civil servants. He added that he was not aware of the union’s plans to disrupt his meetings.
“Why would they disrupt the meetings because I have invited all the workers and not any specific worker?” he said.
Asked what action he intends to take should the unions go ahead and disrupt the meetings, Morupisi said “I don’t think they will because there is no need to.”
Meanwhile BOFEPUSU Vice President Onthusitse Tsalaile took a swipe at Morupisi accusing him of bypassing the Bargaining Council saying he discusses salary negotiations outside the parameters of the bargaining council.
“When the Bargaining Council was still at its infancy stage, President Khama used to talk about salaries during kgotla meetings but he has since stopped. Now Morupisi has taken over as he is the one doing that,” he said.
