The world has been warned about the possibility of a devastating double dip recession. This implies that recovery from the 2008/9 recession is likely to come to a standstill unless governments find ways to effectively manage the crisis. This is a call to arms for policy makers to seek ways to ease any further downturn in economic activity. Already there are fears that government may not award a pay rise for civil servants in the coming financial year (2012/13) due to diminishing government revenues. Unfortunately, instead of working out a rescue plan, the Government of Botswana is having other absurd priorities. Instead of spearheading a process of recovery by maintaining and sustaining a robust growth pattern, our government is busy engaged in a senseless nonstop feud with public sector unions.
Ever since the historic civil servants industrial action, not a week passes by without reports of government engineering punitive measures aimed at a crackdown on unions or unions approaching the courts to challenge government’s decision. Not a week passes by without reports of scheming and counter scheming to puncture the other’s ego. In the midst of this nonsensical feud, the economy is absolutely neglected.
Policy makers spend inordinate time studying labor legislation with a view to identifying loopholes that they could use to hurt and annihilate public sector unions.
To the unions, the government resembles a neighborhood bully and the only way to deal with a bully is to stand up to him. By the same token, the presidency repeatedly takes an unreasonable position about its powers hoping that all will be cowed by its violent and sadistic posture. It struts, boats, threatens and exaggerates patriotic sentiments to deceive naïve citizens. This is morally reprehensible and is a clear indication that the country in the wrong hands.
Instead of providing decisive leadership to enable the economy to regain some confidence and rebound, His Excellency the President is busy renting some spineless sellouts who participated in the industrial action to denounce their actions by going public that given a second chance, they would not participate in the strike. This is done as a strategy to make it appear as though many who participated in the strike actually regret their actions or were used by the union leaders to advance their selfish agenda. It is a mischievous tactic to stigmatize union members as thugs who deserve to be wiped out. This scheming is evil more so devised by the state president who as Head of State was expected to mediate between the Directorate of Public Service Management (representing the employer) and the unions. The State president was expected to float above the squabble so that he could resolve the dispute in an impartial manner.
Owing to President Khama’s scheming and bullying tactics, the impasse between the government and public sector unions metamorphosed into a dispute between President Khama and public officers. Ultimately, the impasse has nothing to do with budgetary constraints but all to do with egos. What unions are facing is just a Khama power formation cynically using the economic downturn as an excuse to humiliate public sector unions and show who is boss. It is as though President Khama has waged a war on workers, the heart and soul of the Botswana’ economy. This union bashing is unnecessary in as much as it would be unreasonable and treasonous for public officers to make demands that are too costly for the tax payer.
We all appreciate that our economy has been ruined by the global recession. We are also aware that workers purchasing power has been eroded over the years such that a stubborn refusal to raise workers’ pay seemed cruel and insensitive more so that some executives get huge and over-generous entertainment allowances. Yes, I mean that money they get to indulge.
It seems to me that conflict between employees or their unions and employers is a fact of life due to competing interests between the two parties. If this is so, it can be argued that labor dispute is not a bad thing. What is required is to develop effective mechanisms for managing and resolving labor disputes. In the Botswana case, it is clear that our government is used to ‘sweetheart unions’ that were weak, disjointed and conformist. The sudden aggressive behavior of public sector employees came unexpectedly and somewhat undermines the sanctity of His Excellency the President hence the brutal response. On the other side, it seems the unions got amazed by the sheer strength of organized labor and probably went a bit far in their endeavor to puncture the state. They became a bit too militant, impatient and proud. Unfortunately, all these happened at the time when the economy is in an intensive care unit.
One would have expected that by now both parties would have learnt some lesson and swallowed their pride to resolve this irrational deadlock that is tearing down our country. Since disputes are natural in labor relations, both parties should consider the present stand off as a dispute between friends requiring a candid compromise rather than a blatant war. It is no secret that while workers have gone back to their offices, they are hardly in a frame of mind that is required to steer our economy in the direction that would help it evade the predicted double dip recession. Of course many are busy but are in actual fact doing nothing for they have no appetite for work. This union bashing madness means that workers are consumed by anxiety and spend more time worrying about their jobs.
Someday, we will look back on this administration as the worst that Botswana ever had.
