The Botswana Government Workers Union (BOGOWU) and the Trainers and Allied Workers Union (TAWU) have officially drawn a line in the sand. Together, we are voicing our unwavering opposition to the recently proposed Leadership Transformation Programme (LTP) introduced by the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM).
As unions dedicated to protecting the rights, dignity, and career progression of public service workers and trainers, we cannot support a framework that fails to address the realities our members face daily.
Why We Are Pushing Back
The introduction of any major structural program in the public service requires genuine, good-faith consultation with the unions that represent the workforce. Our opposition is rooted in several critical concerns:
- Lack of Meaningful Consultation: True transformation cannot be imposed from the top down. The DPSM’s approach sidelined the voices of the workers who will be most impacted by this program.
- Ambiguity in Implementation: The current framework of the LTP leaves too much room for subjective decision-making, which could pave the way for unfair labor practices, favoritism, and arbitrary performance metrics.
- Misplaced Priorities: Before introducing new, heavily bureaucratic leadership programs, the government must address the existing, fundamental grievances of the public service—including stagnant wages, working conditions, and resource shortages.
Our Demand to the DPSM
BOGOWU and TAWU are not opposed to leadership development or upskilling our public service. However, we demand a program that is transparent, co-created with labor representatives, and designed to uplift all workers rather than serve as a punitive or exclusionary tool.
We urge all our members to remain calm but resolute. Your union leadership is actively engaging the DPSM to ensure that this program does not move forward in its current, flawed state. We will continue to update you as the situation develops. United we stand, divided we fall.
