Botswana, as a member of the global village, belongs to numerous international organizations such as SADC, SACU, AU, ILO, UN and others. Our political masters are, therefore, expected to do certain things such as protecting the lives of citizens, adhering to and promoting the rule of law at all times, protecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens as enshrined in the constitution, establishing and nurturing institutions that promote democracy and others.
By signing the ILO conventions, our political leaders promised the international community that they will do whatever is expected of them such as ensuring that there is no child labour as well as allowing public servants to form trade unions. And in compliance with the ILO conventions, the Government of Botswana allowed public servants, through the Public Service Act of 2008, to form trade unions which represent thousands of employees in different sectors of the economy.
Trade unions, in both the public and private sectors are usually viewed as radical and militant organizations which are mainly interested in causing problems for the employer. Some people have so much hatred and disdain for trade unions to an extent that they accuse the unions of making countries ungovernable. But as a trade unionist, I obviously do not support this flawed and baseless argument. I regard trade unions as organizations that strive to protect the rights of workers so that quality service can be provided to citizens. They protect their members against unfair and unjust labour practices which we should not be experiencing in the modern societies in which we live.
Last week, the private newspapers were awash with reports that the government has withdrawn all the assistance that it was rendering to members of the trade unions. As it is currently the norm under the Khama administration, trade unions were not consulted and satisfactory answers were not given to them and to the citizens on factors that prompted government to reach that decision. This comes after teachers, veterinarians and diamond sorters were classified as providers of essential services during the last sitting of parliament – despite their protests. The argument presented by teachers that such a move is in conflict with the ILO conventions fell on deaf ears.
It is becoming increasingly evident that the decision by trade unionists to go on strike in April hurt our political masters very much. They are still bitter and angry about the behaviour of trade unionists. I think one of the things that really offended our political masters the most is the placards which were carried by some public servants and the speeches that were made by leaders of the opposition parties calling for a regime change. These calls were and are still viewed by all ministers and staunch supporters of the BDP as an insult to the president and his administration.
In fact, even President Khama stated at some of the BDP gatherings that those who are calling for regime change want to plunge the country into a crisis where people will lose their lives. He talked of bloodshed and referred to all those who took part in the strike as unpatriotic and undisciplined. Hence, the government has moved swiftly to declare war on trade unions. The intention is to paralyze and annihilate them.
It is very clear that the relationship between public sector trade unions and the government is not a healthy one. It is a sour and acrimonious relationship characterized by mistrust and antagonism.
There is bad blood between the two parties and what we are witnessing is a bare-knuckle fight. Ntwa kgolo ga e sa tlhole e le ya molomo. Ke ya yo o marapo go feta yo mongwe!
But as we know, when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. When two parents go through a very nasty divorce, children are usually caught in the crossfire. Similarly, when the government and trade unions fight, it is the citizens who pay the price. Citizens rely on public organizations for the provision of public goods such as potable water, education, health services, sanitation and others. All these services are provided by public servants, the very same people that the government wants to crush.
Do we really expect public servants to deliver quality service to the citizens when they know very well that the government is flexing its muscle for the sole purpose of rendering them voiceless and powerless? Does President Khama genuinely believe that his administration will achieve one of his 5Ds (delivery) when the public service is made up of people who are disillusioned and disgruntled? I honestly cannot envision a situation where disgruntled public servants are expected to implement and monitor public projects with sheer dedication and commitment.
It is the citizens, not the president or the Director of DPSM, who suffer when hospitals and clinics operate with skeletal staff or when there is no medication to be given to patients.
Students suffer when teachers refuse to work overtime to cover for the time lost during the strike or when they abandon sporting activities. Citizens suffer when land board and town/district council officials deliberately take longer to process their applications for land and other essential services respectively.
Classifying teachers as providers of essential services is not a panacea to the fundamental problems that force them to go on strike in the first place. The fact that teachers are in class does not necessarily mean that there is effective teaching and learning taking place. “Go khina matichara” as Minister Vension-Moitoi once put it, is therefore, not a guarantee that teachers will deliver as expected. It does not guarantee students, parents and the nation as a whole that the pass rate across the country will be high. It will not improve the level of commitment on the part of teachers. So, the argument that such a move is meant to protect students is flawed.
I strongly believe that the government and trade unions must have a constructive dialogue on issues affecting them. The acrimonious relationship between the two parties will not help to take the level of development that we have attained so far to a higher level. Their fight is counter-productive. The government will never gain anything from being spiteful, vengeful and vindictive when dealing with trade unions because it is the citizens, who at the end of the day, pay the high price when public servants provide poor service or fail to deliver at all.
*Bashi Mothusi teaches Public Administration at the University of Botswana
