25th August 2025
Over 200 rank and file members of the 5 + 1 public sector trade unions (BOPEU, BTU, BOSETU, BONU, BDU and NALCGPWU) have submitted a formal petition Monday to the Minister of Presidential Affairs Moeti Mohwasa, to formally raise several critical issues that are affecting the 2025/26 salary negotiations and ultimately the public service staff morale, productivity, and employee well- being.
Secretary-General of the Botswana Federation of Public Sector Trade Unions (BOFEPUSU), Robert Rabasimane, “We note with serious concern that the 2025/26 salary negotiations have stalled as a direct result of the poor leadership of the Director Public Service Management, Ms Gaone Macholo and the lack of interest by the Permanent Secretary to the President, Ms Emma Peloetletse.”
He said, “The grievances articulated in this petition are pressing and require urgent intervention in order to restore the integrity of the 2025/ 26 salary negotiations and the healthy relations between trade unions and government as the employer.”
According to union leaders, the Director DPSM has elected to sign and publicize an agreement with another union before the negotiations between DPSM and the 5 + 1 trade unions were concluded.
“This conduct violated the adopted rules of engagement governing the salary negotiations. Despite this blatant regard of the duty to bargain in good faith, the permanent secretary to the president failed to take any corrective and/or disciplinary measures against her,” said Rabasimane.
He said, “By not taking any corrective and/or disciplinary measures against the Director of DPSM and PSP, we are left to think that the actions of the pair represents the interests of the Government of the day. If their actions do not represent Government, we demand that Government intervenes and urgently remove or redeploy Ms. Emma Peloetletse and Ms Gaone Macholo to different Government assignments in order to restore the integrity of the public service,” said Rabasimane.
According to union leaders there are long standing concerns such as the failure of Ms. Macholo to present government’s position paper or proposal on the implementation of the fan shape salary structure as per the August 2024 agreement between the cooperating Trade Unions and the Employer.
The DPSM’s incompetence has further been highlighted by her deliberate attempt to derail the 2025/26 salary negotiations through delaying tactics.
For instance, Macholo allegedly postponed indefinitely a date set for the continuation of the 2025/26 salary negotiations only to come up with a date after her conduct was questioned.
“You should note that a reason given was that some key negotiators from the government side were not available on the set dates of 18, 19 and 20 August 2025. This she claims despite that fact that government has 7 negotiators and 7 alternate negotiators,” said Rabasimane.
Trade Union leaders also took very strong exception to the fact that government has decided to pay the 15% commuted overtime allowance to the executive cadre retrospectively with arrears.
Despite being aware that the payment of 15% commuted overtime allowance is unlawful, PSP and DPSM Director failed and/or neglected to take corrective steps to rectify this illegality. When the Director was questioned, she apparently failed to produce a directive authorizing the illegal allowance safe to say that it was a cabinet decision.
“What worries us as trade unions is that despite paying this allowance to the executive cadre, the PSP and DPSM are refusing to pay such an allowance to our members who fall within the bargaining unit,” said Rabasimane.
He said, “We have recently seen communication to departments directing freezing of calculated overtime allowance of officers on D1 and below and officers being advised to take day off’s instead of claiming. Despite this direction, executives continue to receive their 15% even if they have not worked any overtime in a particular month.”
Rabasimane revealed that union leaders are often told that the economy is not doing well that’s why this freezing of salary negotiations has been proposed. It however looks clear that the economy is doing very well when it comes to the executives whose allowance have not been stopped or at least been reduced to reflect the harsh economic realities of a stagnant economy.
