Niël Terblanché
THE Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) has filed a notice of motion at the Labour Court of Namibia after the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) broke the rules of the strike currently underway.
In their notice, Napwu cites The Namibia Broadcasting Corporation, the Government of Namibia, the Minister of Finance, and Immanuel Heita as respondents in the litigation.
The litigation follows after the NBC restarted radio broadcasts on the national channel. The management of the broadcaster requested people that did not participate in the strike and employees that abandoned the strike to start doing the jobs of those that are still on strike.
The fact that some radio broadcasts have been resumed striking employees staged a march to the Office of the Prime Minister to deliver a petition in which they decry the actions of the management of the state-owned enterprise.
Striking NBC workers have also accused their management of breaking employing freelance workers to fill in for them.
Napwu, in their notice of motion, informed the respondents that they have until Friday to file notices to oppose at the registrar of the High Court.
The workers union will seek an order from the court to declare the contravention of the NBC management of the Recognition and Procedural Agreement unlawful because their actions undermine the collective bargaining agreement and because their actions constitute unfair labour practice.
Napwu’s notice of motion informs the respondents that they will not be entitled to take any part in the court proceedings if they do to file notices of opposition.
When the industrial action started, 397 NBC workers country-wide went on strike and 131 did not participate. In the meantime, a number of employees have abandoned the strike and have now started working again.
