The year is coming to an end and most of the Trade unions hold conferences and congresses so as to take stock of themselves.
Usually they hold these conferences under some “Themes”.
My union, Botswana Land Board and Local Authorities Workers Union (BLLAWU), will be doing the same under the “theme” Workers re-claiming their wealth in the post of global recession.
What we are not sure about is whether these themes are rhetoric or not, or if the purpose (of these ‘themes’) is to decorate the conference room because, mostly, even after the conference, you will realize that life is just the same in the unions; a testimony that, may be, the theme did not pursue its duty.
Well, I have to concur that this is a relevant theme.
Workers must always claim their share in the economy that they create.
What is paramount is achieving the theme’s objectives. To achieve the intended goal as per the theme I believe that we need dynamic suggestions and contributions.
There is crucial condition for the kind of trade unionism typical of the capitalist democracies- the existence of trade-union’s bureaucracy that is of a social layer made up of the officials with a material interest in confining the class struggle to the search for reforms within a capitalist frame work.
At the end of the nineteenth century, Sidney and Beatrice Webb, co-authors of the Labour Party’s Clause 4, were admiring the formation of a bureaucracy of full time trade-union official.
Nowadays we watch a shifting of the leadership in the trade union world over from casual enthusiasts and responsible agitators to a class of salaried officers, expressly chosen out of the sycophancy and patronage among other unionists.
So for us to achieve our goal, we must take the path of empowering our members so that they can fight their wars.
It is because the effect, whatever the beliefs of officials, is to isolate them from those they represent.
Some of the unions today as I am speaking to you would not know their leadership; instead you will only hear the voice of a union worker who is perceived as a demigod in a particular union. So this stifles leadership growth.
Unionists can reclaim their wealth back from the employer if they are taught what a particular trade union stands for. The burden of fighting for the union must rest with individual members not Tom and Jerry, whose agenda is to turn the union into their little kingdoms.
History proves that progressive organizations can only effectively conduct their struggle if they are able to advance from their ranks a contingent of well trained and experienced leaders to provide leadership and direction to the struggle.
 Progressive unions must always strive to steadfastly uphold the principle of collective leadership, which entails regular consultation, shared responsibility and coordination among various layers of the leadership.
This ensures that accumulated experience and knowledge of individual leaders is imparted to a broader union and also ensures that power does not concentrate in the hands of one particular leader.
If this is not consciously combated through trade union ideological education and practical adherence to the principles of collective leadership and criticism and self criticism, union members gradually are accustomed to being uncritical and passive followers of the allegedly infallible leaders who do all the thinking and planning for the membership. The union ultimately pays very dearly for the errors of such “infallible leaders”.
 The other important thing, which can make us achieve our goal of reclaiming the wealth that we create, is through a revival of structures with vibrant unionists who can hold the employer to account for their misdeeds.
We do not need leadership’s spies and sycophants.
What I also have in mind is the Bargaining Councils, which are charged with the responsibility to bargain on our welfare i.e. wages, salaries allowances, etc. This structure must be utilized fully without compromise.
A lack of capacity among trade unions limits the extent to which they can effectively protect and serve the interests at work place level. There is evidence from Namibia that, despite a labour law framework that depends to a large extent on collective bargaining, parties are often not sufficiently familiar with the requirements of the labour laws to comply with its requirement (Fenwick, 2007).
The capacity of trade unions to perform these various roles depends, in many respects, on whether they are able to achieve a sufficient level of union destiny to serve as a base from which they might have some influence.
Observers of labour market had long
been concerned with bargaining power asymmetries. The environment affects workers behavior, including the incentives with which they are confronted. The workers also need a better life in the current economic recession because they cannot be made to suffer and be expected to tighten their belts while the executives and their cronies enjoy the fruits of the workers. 
Last, but not least, is the solidarity of workers.
Unionists must know that we cannot win most of the wars if we are not united as unions.
We have to be united and build a coherent force, which can make the looters of the economy that we create to listen and tow our line; it is then that we can reclaim the wealth that we make. We must partake in the revival of the Botswana Federation of Trade Union structures and start to pay all outstanding contributions (fees) to the mother body that we are affiliated to.
This federation is important because it can assist in training our cadres and ultimately manage to re-claim what belongs to us.
 *Ishmael William is a BLLAWU member. The views expressed here on are personal.
