12 Jul 2016

 

The Public is informed that the article that appeared on page 3 of the Mmegi newspaper dated Friday 8th July 2016 under the heading ‘They want to tame us’-BOFEPUSU’ is not factually correct, misleading and has the potential to cause an unnecessary strain in the relationship between Government (represented by Directorate of Public Service Management) as the employer of Public Service Employees and Public Service Unions that represent Public Service Employees .

The Article alleges that there is a Public Service Bill that is currently being debated at Parliament in which government is attempting to tame civil servants. 

We wish to categorically and unequivocally state that there is currently no Public Service Bill that is being debated by Parliament. 

As a matter of fact there is no Public Service Bill that has been presented before Parliament for debate and possible approval.

For a Public Service Bill to be debated before Parliament, it would first need to be Gazzetted and then subsequently be presented to Parliament. 

Gazzettment is a process by which a Bill is published in the Government Gazette. 

The Government Gazette is available to members of the Public. 

The reason why a Bill is Gazetted is to allow members of the Public an opportunity to see what a Bill is proposing to Parliament. 

Government wishes to confirm as a matter of fact that there is no Public Service Bill that has been Gazetted.

Before the Public Service Bill is finalised and Gazetted, there is need to consult relevant stakeholders. 

One of the most important stakeholders that need to be consulted are Public Service Unions. 

The various Public Service Unions were engaged prior to and after the drafting of a Public Service Bill and were invited DPSM to make comments. 

This is a process that has gone on over the past two years. On the 22nd of June 2016, DPSM issued invitations to each individual Public Service Union to consultative meetings

On the 27th and 28th of June 2016 to discuss the latest version of the proposed Public Service Bill. With the exception of :

1) National Amalgamated Local, Central Government Parastatal Workers Union (NALCGPWU);

2) Botswana Teachers Union (BTU)

3) Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU)

4) Botswana Land Boards, Local Authorities and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU)

All other Public Service Unions honoured the invitation and engaged in meaningful consultation with DPSM. During the consultations, they indicated areas they were tentatively agreeable to and those that they were not in agreement with. 

They have subsequently started to submit written comprehensive views on how the Bill could be improved upon.

On the 27th of June 2016 Mr Tobokani Rari called the Director, DPSM Ruth Maphorisa approximately 10 minutes before the consultative meeting was due to commence indicating that four Public Service Unions namely, NALCGPWU, BTU, BOSETU and BLLAHWU would not be attending the meeting. 

He further indicated that these Unions would write to DPSM.

On the 28th of June 2016 the Director, DPSM received a letter from the Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) in which it indicated that it acted for and behalf of the four Public Service Unions that had decided to not attend the consultative meeting of the 27th June 2016. 

The letter which was signed by Mr Tobokani Rari as BOFEPUSU Secretary General went on to state that BOFEPUSU would issue another letter on or before 29th June 2016 requesting clarity on some of the provisions of the proposed Public Service Bill before submitting its contributions on 14th July 2016. 

BOFEPUSU only wrote and delivered the letter on the 6th of July 2016 and requested that the Director, DPSM respond within 14 days. It is only after they receive the response that they would make suggestions regarding the Bill.

It must be noted that BOFEPUSU is not a Public Service Union and as such the Director, DPSM is not compelled to consult it on the proposed Public Service Bill. 

The expectation was that the four Public Service Union’s that BOFEPUSU purports to act for and who had been individually invited for a consultation meeting on the 27th of June 2016 and decided not to attend would each respond for themselves. 

DPSM has recognition agreements with these four Public Service Unions and owes them a duty to consult as representatives of Public Service Unions. 

Despite this highly unusual and disappointing approach by these Unions, Director, DPSM was willing to engage them through BOFEPUSU in the interests of fostering and maintaining a good and cordial working relationship between Government and Public Service Unions. 

To that end Director, DPSM was in the process of studying the contents of BOFEPUSU’s of the 6th July in order to respond accordingly when she was shocked and horrified to see the Mmegi Article.

It is not the first time nor will it be the last time that Director, DPSM has consulted Public Service Union’s on a variety of issues that affect or are likley to affect Public Service Employees. 

Public Service Union’s fully know how they and DPSM have and are expected to conduct themselves during consultative process. 

Consultation through the media is totally unacceptable, devious, shocking, ill motivated, ill advised, ill conceived, constitutes bad faith and undermines the trust, confidence and goodwill that exists between DPSM and Public Service Union’s.ENDS