The role of trade unions has since evolved from that of just agitating for members’ economic standing and dignified working conditions for employees. Trade unions have since taken the role of providing checks and balances in nation states to ensure that democratic dispensations are not just rhetoric by governments that do not translate into tangible benefits to citizens.
Therefore, it is significant that within every trade union, especially Teacher Trade unions in this country, there are functional democratic structures that work towards not only the traditional functions of trade unions but go beyond that to empower members to become functionaries of public good and national development. This would require members who are better informed in: fundamentals of trade unionism, industrial relations, professional ethics, service with decorum, and the need to continuously self invent in the work place in order to be productive workers.
Government and other employers are mandated by international labour laws and other international instruments that this country is a signatory to, to work with trade unions if the government is interested in nurturing an enabling work environment for efficient and transformational labour market. We cannot preach the need to attract foreign direct investment in a labour market that is polluted by confrontational labour relations. Such a move is counterproductive and delusional. Therefore, government must wake up from its reverie of maintaining an iron curtain between itself and trade unions in a democracy.
On the other hand, trade unions especially in this case, teacher trade unions must exude an air of respectability and be seen to be working in the interest of nation building and not to be misconstrued to be engineering selfish sectoral interests. This move would endear teacher trade unions to government, private sector and the general public.
The teaching profession is no longer attractive. This is an urgent challenge to trade unions to ensure that working conditions, social security, pension schemes and salaries are attractive and are comparable to those applicable to other professions requiring a similar level of qualifications.
On the other hand, quality education and disciplinary problems have become a serious menace to the future of this country. As teacher trade unions we are hard pressed to revamp the image of the teaching profession as society views the calibre of teachers today as not the dedicated and professional teachers of yesteryears. The school of thought here is that due to lack of employment opportunities in other more ‘respectable’ better paying jobs, many Batswana youth pursue teaching not because they are passionate about the profession but because it will put food on the table.
The challenge facing trade unions is to inculcate ethical standards within the profession that would instill service with botho, dedication and continued professional self invention. As trade union leaders your responsibility is to motivate and inspire members to be more responsive, responsible and disciplined in order to usher in an era of a strong bond between government and trade unions in nation building.
Only a responsive and responsible trade union would assist Botswana to be a regional and international education hub as envisaged by the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD).
In order for teachers’ unions to make their voices heard and play a more active role in influencing debates on education policy, and in becoming pro-active participants of the knowledge society, it is vital that unions undertake research that supports the policies they advocate.
Education International in its publication (Research Matters) argues that research plays a crucial role in facilitating unions to have a greater say in educational policy. No longer is research a domain for academics in their ivory towers. It has found a role beyond informing theoretical debate. It now plays a vital contribution in supporting ideas and opinions in order to inform public policy.
Therefore, for teacher trade unions to have a more profound role in education policy debates and in influencing policy, unions need to engage in targeted research. It is through targeted research that teacher trade unions can have a firm grasp of issues they advocate and consequently turn their relationship with the employer (government) from confrontation to cooperation.
Current developments in the industrial relations domain reveal that the role of trade unions has since evolved from that of oppossers of government/employer agitating for better conditions of service and pay to a more inclusive role of shaping economic, cultural, political, and social development of nation states. This means teacher trade unions can no longer content themselves with demanding better pay and working conditions without being actively involved in the promotion of sound education policy for nation building.
