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Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) - Botswana (RATIFICATION: 1997)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It further notes the comments submitted by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on 29 August 2008, which mainly refer to legislative issues raised in its previous observation. The Committee asks the Government to provide full information on the progress made with respect to the legislative changes requested in its previous comment, which it repeats as follows:

–      the amendment of section 2 of the Trade Disputes Act, section 2 of the Trade Union and Employers’ Organizations (Amendment) Act, and section 35 of the Prisons Act so as to ensure that prison staff are afforded all the guarantees provided under the Convention;

–      the adoption of specific legislative provisions ensuring adequate protection against acts of interference by employers or employers’ organizations in the establishment, functioning or administration of trade unions, coupled with effective and sufficiently dissuasive sanctions;

–      the repeal of section 35(1)(b) of the Trade Disputes Act, which permits an employer or employers’ organization to apply to the Commissioner to withdraw the recognition granted to a trade union on the grounds that the trade union refuses to negotiate in good faith with the employer;

–      the amendment of section 20(3) of the Trade Disputes Act, so as to ensure that compulsory arbitration of disputes of interest is permissible only in the following instances: (1) where the party requesting arbitration is a trade union seeking a first collective agreement; (2) disputes concerning public servants directly engaged in the administration of the State; and (3) disputes arising in essential services.

Finally, the Committee requests the Government to provide its observations with respect to the ITUC’s comments, according to which if a trade union is not registered, union committee members are not protected against anti-union discrimination.