The relationship between civil servants and the President have turned sour. Before elections, President Masisi was a darling to the civil servants, however, matters have taken a different turn after Masisi’s inauguration.
While His Excellency vowed that consultation and dialogue would be the cornerstone of his relationship with trade unions and by extension public servants, it appears the President just cannot keep his promises.
A few months ago, President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi was qouted, βWe find evidence of a political leadership that for the last 30 years, has increasingly fallen into the clutches of an under-performing public service that has grown more robust in obstruction than in productivity. We find an evolving culture of a democratically elected but increasingly pliable political leadership of the last three decades, held to ransom by groups of abrasive technocrats in low-productivity mode, albeit with rising incidences of corruption.β
Recently the President was heard condemning civil servants during one of his Kgotla Meetings. The trade unions find this disturbing as they feel the president has launched scathing attack on helpless public servants publicly in kgotla meetings where they cannot defend themselves. “In these meetings he is threatening workers with dismissals indicating that they will find themselves unemployed at home. His attack on workers is becoming a trend, Instead of focusing on employment creation, the President is threatening to throw workers into unemployment and poverty.” Trade Unions lamented.
Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) and Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) have took it upon themselves to speak for, and defend civil servants against attacks by the President.
The two (2) trade unions says President Masisi’s attention is misplaced as he should be focusing on “leading a Government that bring labour laws and policies that are friendly to workers instead of creating a toxic environment of Industrial relations.”
“Currently there is no Public Service Bargaining Council and Industrial Councils, there is no implementation of PEMANDU recommendations, there is poor working conditions and welfare of workers. These are criticism issues in Industrial Relations that should form part of the President ‘s agenda.” The two trade unions asserted.
