Teachers/DPSM to sort out differences

Representatives from the teachers unions, Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) and the Ministry of Education will meet next month to iron out their differences regarding teachers working hours and overtime payment, this publication has learnt.

In an interview Botswana Secondary School Teachers’ Union (BOSETU) Secretary General Tobokani Rari said, together with Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) are scheduled to meet with the DPSM and the ministry on February 10 to finally address the problem of teachers working hours.Rari revealed that following their meeting last week Thursday the ministry has resolved that teachers will be paid their long overdue overtime money. These comes after the unions had instructed teachers to suspend their participation in overtime activities pending the outcome of the consultation process.

“They said they will try and source funds to make the payments soon because currently they do not have money to make the payments,” said Rari.
The union leaders were recently irked by a directive from DPSM that all employees are required by law to work overtime and should be paid by days off. “The choice on what to do with overtime hours should be up to the employee,” argued Rari, adding that they will be having consultative meetings with teachers and hear if they will work overtime and be paid later.

For the February meeting Rari said they will still propose the 26-day work model. “This model simply adds two extra hours to each day for five days. That means they will have 10 extra hours per week to make an extra one whole 8-hour day. That is why we are saying they would be working six days a week and paid accordingly,” he explained. He pointed out that they will wait to hear government’s proposed model.

Activities that are likely to be affected by the impasse between teachers and the Ministry include among others; academic activities done after hours and during weekends; subject fairs, remedial teachings and sports activities. “We have to come to an agreement soon since school activities are just about to kick off,” he stated as a matter of fact.