Ryder Gabathuse
1 April 2008
Francistown — Two public sector unions clashed at the Botswana Mining Workers Union (BMWU)'s 18th triennial delegates congress at the Tati River Lodge last Friday. It was ill-fitting that representatives of the two unions deviated from delivering solidarity messages and instead launch scathing attacks on each other in front of employers from various mines and government departments, visiting unionists from Namibia, South Africa and Zambia.
First to launch a scathing attack was the Botswana Land Board and Local Authorities Workers Union's (BLLAWU) president Pelotshweu Baeng who condemned the Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) and the Manual Workers Union for joining forces to form a parallel workers federation while there was the Botswana Federation of Trades Union (BFTU). Baeng admitted: "We are at war with these two unions."
He said unionists were the only ones who could rescue themselves from the chains of oppression and exploitation at the workplace, emphasising that they could not do that when they were divided. "The labour movement in Botswana is dividing itself to death."
"Manual workers union and BOPEU have now formed a rival federation and this has divided the movement and reduced the workers' bargaining strength as these fragmentations are very fatal," thundered Baeng who was clad in his union's regalia.
Typical of his militancy, Baeng described the two unions as 'misled'. "All the time we differ with BOPEU and manual workers unions even over crucial issues that require our joint attention. These people have unnecessarily weakened the labour movement in the country without any justification," he said, adding that some people enjoyed it when they sought personal fulfillment at the expense of the entire labour movement in the country. He called on BLLAWU as a public sector union to sit down with all other public sector unions and discuss pertinent issues.
"We need to have a strong voice as public sector unions. We shall regret in future if we are going to maintain a fragmented relationship like it is the case today. We are giving employers the opportunity to do as they wish," Baeng warned.
He said it was on the basis of the differences between BLLAWU and the Manual Workers Union that "we have started recruiting their members to our side so that we can seriously weaken their strength. This is not good, but we have to do it because of their attitude."
He pointed out that in no time, they would be recruiting aggressively from BOPEU "to show them what the divisions were capable of doing."
Baeng then turned to the BMWU, which he said used to be a very strong workers' movement now weakened by internal bickering perpetrated by the leadership. In particular, he pointed his fingers at the outgoing national chairman, Chimbidzani Chimidza and the retained general secretary Jack Tlhagale whom he claimed took a long time fighting personal battles which ended up affecting the running of the BMWU.
"It's some of your leaders who have weakened the BMWU which has been the torchbearers in the country's labour movement but have now driven it into passivity. You should amend your constitution and include a clause that includes the power to recall any leader whose performance is below par rather than wait until the next congress," said Baeng.
The militant trade union told the congress that the union should be worker-controlled and not leader-driven saying that the latter scenario could render the union irrelevant. "Some of the BMWU were just parcels in the current committee. We should be concerned as leaders whether we deliver on our mandate. We should be able to do some self-criticism and find out if we are performing."
He pleaded with the BMWU to rediscover itself and continue providing the requisite ideological guidance to upcoming unionists.
The Botswana Secondary Teachers' Union (BOSETU) president Eric Ditau added salt to injury when he remarked that the manual workers' union and BOPEU would be judged harshly by history for betraying the struggle.
Speaking at the occasion as the vice president of the Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU), he sounded concerned about the setting up of a rival federation. As the leader of a public sector union, he was not comfortable with workers 'empowering' the employer by deliberately weakening an existing workers' federation.
Ditau said that the mining sector continues to play a meaningful role in the country's economy. "The BMWU is undeniably a major stakeholder which cannot be easily brushed aside. It's the labour force under the tutelage of the BMWU that continues to play a pivotal role in the affluence of the country's economy," asserted Ditau.
The Manual Workers' Union's northern regional organising secretary, Motseothata Gopane, took the opportunity to reply to Baeng's accusations.
He started off by acknowledging the problems in the public sector union. "We have invited all the public sector unions to form a bargaining council in order for us to negotiate with the employer effectively. Some of the public sector unions decided against it and there is just no way in which we could be blamed for anything," Gopane said.
"It's not true that we sidelined any union when we mooted the notion of forming a rival federation, which is inevitable. It was out of choice that BLLAWU decided to jump off the boat."
He said the law stipulates that 33 percent of the total workforce is required for workers to form the bargaining council. "It's on this note that we continue to encourage the BLLAWU to work very hard to enjoy the recognition agreement with the employer.
Otherwise they will have difficulties enjoying any hearing on matters pertaining to bargaining."
He also encouraged the BMWU to work very hard to regain its lost glory before matters got worse. He warned the BMWU like other labour movements to avoid letting political party politics derail them from their course.
The BMWU newly elected national chairman Golekanye Mogende advised the public sector unions "never to allow the employer to unnecessarily dictate terms to them in so far as the forming of bargaining councils is concerned." He reminded the unions to settle for a common way and to bring their preferred way to the table.
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