Trade unions in Botswana operate within a longstanding democratic system in which the government of

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...

has ratified the

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...

's core conventions, including Conventions 87 (

Freedom of Association Freedom of association encompasses both an individual's right to join or leave groups voluntarily, the right of the group to take collective action to pursue the interests of its members, and the right of an association to accept or decline mem ...

) and 98 (

Right to Organize Freedom of association encompasses both an individual's right to join or leave groups voluntarily, the right of the group to take collective action to pursue the interests of its members, and the right of an association to accept or decline memb ...

). With the exception of members of the Botswana Defence Force, Botswana Police Service, Local Police, and Prison Service, all workers have the right to join unions. However, in practice

trade unions A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

complain of difficulties in operating unfettered. The 2004 Trade Disputes Act is seen by unions as "employer-favoured" and requires submitting grievances to a complex procedure which, it is claimed, invariably results in strike action being declared illegal.

History

Formed in 1948, the Francistown African Employees' Union (FAEU), led by G. M. K. Mmusi was the first trade union in Botswana. It existed until 1970, although only being recognised by the

Bechuanaland Protectorate The Bechuanaland Protectorate () was a protectorate established on 31 March 1885, by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (later the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) in Southern Africa. It became the Republi ...

in 1964. The Bechuanaland Protectorate Union, led by

Lenyeletse Seretse Lenyeletse Mpetwane Seretse (25 June 19213 January 1983) was the second Vice-President of Botswana from July 1980 until his death on 3 January 1983. From Serowe, Northern Botswana, Seretse was appointed Vice-President to placate his fellow Northern ...

, was formed in 1959, and in 1962 the Bechuanaland Trade Union Congress (BTUC) was established, with Klaas K. Motshidisi as general secretary. The BTUC, which was allied with the

Bechuanaland People's Party The Botswana People's Party (BPP), originally the Bechuanaland People's Party, is a political party in Botswana formed in December 1960 during the colonial era. As a result of disappointment with the Legislative Council, under the leadership of ...

, foundered three years later, in 1965; and after independence in 1966, with the help of the

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) was an international trade union. It came into being on 7 December 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), and was dissolved on 31 October 2006 when ...

(now

ITUC The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); german: Internationaler Gewerkschaftsbund (IGB), link=no; es, Confederación Sindical Internacional (CSI), link=no. is the world's largest trade union federation. History The federation w ...

), trade unions in Botswana formed the Bechuanaland Federation of Labour. In the 1970s the

Botswana Trade Union and Education Centre Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...

was created, and it was replaced in 1977 by the current

national trade union centre A national trade union center (or national center or central) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a country. Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. In some regions, such a ...

, the Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU).

Present day

The BFTU is still the sole national trade union centre in Botswana. Most unions are organized at the enterprise level, with few resources available for cross-enterprise structures such as industrial or

craft unionism Craft unionism refers to a model of trade unionism in which workers are organised based on the particular craft or trade in which they work. It contrasts with industrial unionism, in which all workers in the same industry are organized into the sa ...

. The government of Botswana appears to take a pragmatic approach to trade unions, arguing that they should be formed in order to encourage fair labour practices, facilitate education of workers, and reduce conflicts between individual employees and employers.

References

{{Botswana topics