Mqondisi Dube
1 December 2008
Selebi-Phikwe — Botswana National Productivity Centre (BNPC) executive director, Tembo Lebang has expressed concern at the proliferation of workers unions. Speaking at BCL mine retirement and long serving employees' ceremony on Friday he said many unions weaken the labour movement.
"I am saddened by some new developments in the local labour movement where as employers grow stronger, a good number of labour unions have grown weaker and weaker.
Even where there is growth within the labour movement especially as a result of the massive liberation of our national labour legislation, there appears to be more proliferation of union formations even at national level," Lebang said.
He added that the proliferation of unions undermines the strength of the labour movement and the balance of power in labour management relations system. "The absence of a united and strongly organised labour movement is a recipe for unwanted industrial strife in an economy," he said.
Lebang, a former commissioner of labour, stated that with the established dispute settlement arrangement in Botswana, industrial action should be minimal. He said strikes result in the suffering of the ordinary people and there is usually no winner at the end of such action. He emphasised the need to focus on the development of labour management collaboration programmes aimed at improving the productivity.
He urged unions and employers to focus on how they could improve productivity at BCL so that the two parties can benefit. "Let us focus on the satisfaction of our customers and the rest will follow, including improvement in our take home pay and annual bonuses," Lebang advised.
He said it is common for the management and union to have conflicts, but urged both parties to develop an effective dispute resolution mechanism. This would ensure that differences are resolved in an amicable manner like the company's recent wage negotiations, he added.
Lebang said it is encouraging that the BCL management and union have been building a good relationship.
"We know that consultation and communication are the cornerstones of any relationship and it is pleasing to note that BCL has established a Works Council Forum." He commended BCL long service recipients and retirees for sticking with the company through turbulent times.
"When opportunities and challenges were abound, you chose to stay the course, face the challenges and come out winners, both for BCL and for yourselves, because without your loyalty, hard work and dedication, BCL would not be what it is today," Lebang said.
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