Botswana civil service strike threatens austerity measures
A public workers' strike in Botswana threatens to derail government efforts to rein in spending as it tackles a budget deficit while trying to shore up a nascent economic recovery.
Image: Reuters
Imagine the nerve of these civil servants not willing to make human sacrifices of themselves in deference to a balanced budget! The iniquity!
http://www.businesslive.co.za/africa/2011/04/24/botswana-civil-service-strike-threatens-austerity-measures
The Minister of Finance Kenneth Matambo said in February that the country's economic growth is expected to slow to 6.8 percent in 2011 before accelerating to 7.1 percent next year.
The on-going strike has a negative impact on all public services, which in turn has deterred private sector businesses who rely on those services.
So let's see, the economy's growth is expected to slow to an impressive 6.8 percent this year, and then rise the next year. Seven percent is red hot growth, and it's been higher than that last year and will again top that mark next year. This is growth that most nations would die for.
And the private sector relies on these public employees.
And the government, whose coffers grow with the economy, are refusing to give civil servants a raise that is commensurate with the rate of inflation.
Why not? It's called class war.
http://www.businesslive.co.za/Feeds/inet/2011/05/22/botswana-s-president-digs-in-heels-on-pay
