'I'm going to end private sector abuse of our workers' - Mokgethi
Private sector employees will soon be able to negotiate salary adjustment with their respective employers through the Private Sector Bargaining Council.
Currently, the private sector determines its own salary using the statutory minimum wage rates as a yardstick. Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Anna Mokgethi revealed that her ministry is currently working on a Bill that will be passed into law to establish the Private Sector Bargaining Council.
She said this is aimed at protecting all workers in the country. Mokgethi made these revelations during a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) rally in Mogoditshane West Constituency. The BDP will be represented by Minister of Youth, Gender, Sports and Culture Tumiso Rakgare in this newly-established constituency.
“The private sector has exploited our people. That thing has to come to an end. I am going to be the one who ends that abuse through a law I bring before parliament.
“The private sector exploits our people and pay them peanuts using the statutory minimum wage rate to underpay the workers.”
According to Mokgethi, the private sector employees will never be exploited.
'I am wiping off the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) minimum wage manifesto promise,' she said, adding that private sector employees will determine what they must get. The minister stated that the opposition parties have nothing to offer to Batswana. She called on Batswana to vote the BDP in the coming general election.
“There is still no alternative government in this country, except the BDP. The opposition is very weak and useless. You can see from their Members of Parliament failures.
“They don’t even know how to draft a Private Members Bill. They were against the Citizenship Amendment Bill and tried to counter it. We got rid of their attempts because what they called for was ridiculous,” Mokgethi, who is also MP for Gaborone Bonnington North, said.
She told the gathering that she managed to wrestle her constituency from the opposition in 2019 because even though they claimed to be together they were fragmented.
'I walloped all the men who contested during the 2019 general elections,' she said.
For his part, Rakgare pointed out that when he won the elections in 2019, he inherited a constituency that was neglected by the then area MP. He said developments were lacking in a fast growing area which has a large population.
“Former MP, Sedirwa Kgoroba failed Mogoditshane. When I got into office there was nothing that you could show as his legacy. All he did in all those years in office was to shout at government and public servants. I want you to vote for me so that we both develop Mogoditshane,” Rakgare appealed.
He revealed that even though he has been under heavy criticism over AFCON, he is still committed to ensuring that the African continent gather in Botswana for the continental football games.