2nd December 2025
Own Correspondent
The Botswana Public Employees Union(BOPEU) has warned Government about a disturbing trend of marginalizing the unions during the Public Service Bargaining Council(PSBC) by pursuing a policy of divide and rule.
Unions leaders stressed that demoralized workers cannot summon the strength to overcome sluggish economic growth because of growing job insecurity.
The Conference theme “Rebuilding Trust: Strengthening Accountability, and Driving Member-Centered Transformation,” was therefore deszcribed as timely, necessary, and aligned with the aspirations of the new government led by the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), that has pledged to place human rights, dignity, and social justice at the centre of national transformation.
Martin Onalenna Gabobake, BOPEU President, said “We are witnessing an increasing and regrettable trend among parastatal employers—deliberate delaying of collective bargaining processes. It has now become the norm for salary and conditions-of-service negotiations to drag on for 10 months or more, with no meaningful progress. These delays serve no purpose other than to frustrate employees and weaken the spirit of cooperation that should exist between management and workers.”
He said, “By September 2025, out of seventeen parastatal organisations, three had successfully concluded their salary negotiations and signed a Collective Labour Agreement. The remaining fourteen entities continue to delay meetings and negotiations, often citing reasons such as “lack of board mandate” or “failure to disclose financial information.”
Gabobake insisted that this type of behaviour is unacceptable. It reflected a serious lack of respect for the collective bargaining process and for the very workers who keep these institutions running.
Over the years, the government has undertaken numerous institutional reforms to improve service delivery and efficiency by establishing parastatal entities. These reforms seek to leverage the strengths of the public and private sectors, encouraging innovation and broader economic growth. However, our extensive experience has revealed a recurring challenge: the lack of a strong, comprehensive policy framework to guide these transformation processes effectively.
“At present, each transformation effort is handled piecemeal, often relying on temporary solutions that lack consistency and well-defined goals. This lack of standard procedures creates significant uncertainty, leading to inconsistent implementation and, at times, adverse effects on employees and the operational efficiency of newly established institutions,” said Gabobake.
The Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) has also noted with concern that many of these transformations have, regrettably, become pathways for retrenchment rather than genuine vehicles for innovation and sustainable growth.
Within a short time of their establishment, many of these new entities resort to restructuring exercises that result in significant job losses, changes in employment conditions, and a general decline in job security. This trend starkly contradicts the fundamental objective of transformation, which should focus on augmenting institutional capacity and improving service delivery — not diminishing the workforce or compromising employee rights.
Union leaders have called on Government to prioritize the development and implementation of a national policy framework that clearly governs the transformation of parastatals.
This framework should be comprehensive and well-articulated, balancing the need for efficiency and accountability with the imperative of maintaining employment levels and protecting workers’ rights.
The Government was also urged to revise the salary structure which has remained stagnant and unresponsive to the needs of modern governance. The idea of a performance-based remuneration system has been spoken about repeatedly, but we have yet to see it materialize.
“Our members in the Public Service are expected to deliver high-quality results under the banner of performance management, but their efforts are not being fairly recognised or rewarded. They continue to serve the nation faithfully, but with little motivation and minimal support,” said Gabobake.
He said, “The Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) should urgently conclude and implement the long-overdue Salary Structure, the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS), and the Remuneration Policy. These frameworks must move from paper to practice.
Government officials stressed that both the state and the unions have a moral obligation to rebuild trust where it has eroded, strengthen accountability where it has weakened, and drive transformation that places members – not leaders, not structures – at the centre.
Ketlhalifele Motshegwa, Minister of Local Government and Cultural Affairs, said “As a Government guided by human rights, we reaffirm that labour rights are human rights, and that the empowerment of workers is central to our development mandate.”
He said, “Trust is the currency of both governance and trade union leadership. It is earned through transparency, consistency, and integrity. For unions, rebuilding trust means reconnecting with the rank and file, listening actively, and ensuring that the union’s agenda is genuinely reflective of members’ concerns. For Government, rebuilding trust means honouring commitments, engaging authentically with labour organisations, and protecting the rights of workers against exploitation and unfair labour practices.”
Motshegwa revealed that transformation dictates that the union should adapt to new realities such as digitalization, automation, and evolving worker expectations.
