16 May 2024

In the high-tech age, the court should be amenable to electronic registration of cases in an effort to address impediments clients encounter when seeking redress on labour related issues.

Ms Outule Keatimilwe, a senior associate with Collins Chilisa Consultants said this at the inaugural Industrial Relations Conference in Gaborone on May 15.

She said a lot of employees around the country were faced with barriers to access their right to justice owing to the scarce industrial courts.

“The three industrial courts in Gaborone, Francistown and Maun are not enough considering how dispersed the country is.

Some employees have to travel hundreds of kilometres only to register their cases before the Industrial Court,” she said.

Nonetheless, she said the industrial relations had over time evolved in the country owing to the intervention of the industrial court which had brought in fairness and equity in labour relations matters.

“Throughout the years, labour relations in the country improved, which saw the introduction of laws such as Employment Act, Public Service Act and Trade Disputes Act, among others.

Further, the Industrial Court has been instrumental in the implementation of the labour relations laws, which harmonised labour relations in the country,” she added.

For his part, Botswana Sector of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) secretary general, Mr Tobokani Rari said while the country’s laws provided for workers’ rights to unionise and bargain, they however fell short of ensuring that such were enforced.

Mr Rari regretted that there were still issues of workers being intimidated for trade unions membership, while trade unionism was also not being protected.

“The world over, it has shown that where trade unions are strong, working relations were better.

In Botswana, public sector unions are strong but the same could not be said about the private sector unions,” he said.

He added that there was also a lot of intimidation of trade unionists in the private sector, hence the need for the private sector to introspect.

On one hand, Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) former president, Mr Johannes Tshukudu said trade unions existed to ensure equity.

Mr Tshukudu said tripartite relations between employers, unions and government in Botswana was challenged as government wanted a superior role although the establishment called for equal partnership.

“Only the political wing can change the prevailing tripartite scenario to ensure that each member is treated as an equal partner,” he said. He further said government had failed to demonstrate political will in resuscitating the Public Service Bargaining Council. Ends