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Botswana Land Boards, Local Authorities and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU) Celebrates 50 Years Of Existence This Year
CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF EXISTENCE THIS YEAR
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By Seneo Setilo Matlapeng
BLLAHWU President Thatayaone Mokhurutshe
When one mentions a labour movement or union, the thought of corporate activism for the sole purpose of speaking for the rights of the employees comes to play. However, the Botswana Land Boards, Local Authorities, and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU) have taken the ball game a notch higher in how they represent their members, society, and their place as a labour union in the growth of the local socio-economy. And fifty years later they remain a leader in the union sector. History of the union BLLAHWU was established in 1972 and has been an instrumental advocate for its people, accruing a membership capacity of over 13000 employees who are in the public sector and parastatals over the years. BLLAWHU prides itself in recruiting from lowest paid, underpaid, and oppressed members of the public service ranging from cleaners, drivers across to doctors who are well qualified for their service provisions. To effectively service this population, the union has Regional Offices in Mabutsane, Francistown, Palapye, Ramotswa, Gantsi, and Gaborone where the head office is.
FOOTPRINTS OF BLLAHWU
Restoring Dignity through Higher Learning Education Opportunities According to the union's manifesto, BLLAHWU exists fundamentally to protect, advance, and deepen workers' rights and bargain for improvement of workers' conditions of service and welfare, further striving for social justice.
To realize the sustainability of its mandate, the union established BLLAHWU Foundation, which exists to provide sponsorship funding for its members to pursue their studies from qualifications as minor and yet impacting as Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees, and Masters in various fields of study. The union has prioritized providing learning opportunities for its members who are often shamed and shunned because of the nature of their jobs; however, the union is committed to restoring their dignity and empowers them through this opportunity of higher learning sponsorship. Advocacy for Its Members "When you mention the acronym BLLAHWU in any conversation, there is a silence and sense of respect before a description of the labour union can be uttered. BLLAHWU is radical, progressive, revolutionary, and very intentional about its objective to firmly call out any violation of workers in the public service," explains Mokhurutshe.
A partnership between the government and the Public Service Bargaining Council (PSBC), led by BLLAHWU, was established in 2012. The collaboration is one of the union's success stories as talks between the government and the bargaining union collective have resulted in salary increments for members of the union who are in the public sector.
BLLAHWU provides legal representation for its members facing legal disputes with their employers. The legal representation starts from the mediation, stage through to the courts of law in the country. Policy Creation Influence
BLLAHWU has influenced policy creation and advocates for quality education, access to quality health service, and the right to land allocation for commercial and residential purposes of every Motswana who is of age which in turn leads to the Socio-economic development of the country. Social Development Impact Mokhurutshe outlined that their responsibility is not only limited to their members but as a key stakeholder in the society, they have given back to marginalised ethnic groups across Botswana as well. He shared that they have donated food hampers to poverty-stricken families in Kaudwane; and built two houses for the less privileged in Kaudwane and another in Marapong. The union realized a need to build houses after they identified the hardships faced by the people in rural settlements.
The union has also identified that some basic human needs such as shelter, clean water, food, and clothing are still lacking in most parts of Botswana despite the country being a middle-income economy. Mokhurutshe decried that despite Botswana being a leader in the diamond sector globally, and a democratic and peaceful nation, the majority of its people suffer these injustices.
He added that in most settlements in Western and Northern Botswana, you may have families stacked up from the grandparents to grandchildren seeking shelter under trees unaware of the reality of consuming clean water or having at least one meal each day. He cautioned that there is a lot of groundwork to be done in restoring dignity and empowering the lives of underprivileged and marginalised families in Botswana. Botswana Federation of the Disabled BLLAHWU also recently funded the development of a website for people living with disabilities in the country through the Botswana Federation of the Disabled (BOFOD) foundation, which helps the foundation enhance its pool of partnerships. Tackling unemployment among the youth The union also supported the dreams of an unemployed youth, Joyce Leagile, who hosted a beauty pageant with the proceeds going to assist unemployed youth in the greater Gaborone area with necessities such as toiletries, food, and financial resources to capacitate the beneficiaries to apply for employment opportunities.
