Zorena Jantze
A GROUP of workers from the Namibian national rail company, TransNamib, on Monday held a peaceful demonstration in which they demanded the resignation of the company’s CEO and also that executives pay back bonuses which they allegedly fraudulently allocated to themselves.
The demonstration comes after a leaked dossier of international firm Ernst & Young who advised that some of the company’s executives should be sued, as they allocated themselves bonuses without having a performance management system in place.
The petition, which deals with several grievances the workers have with the company, was handed over to a board member of TransNamib, Gaenor Michaels, as the chairperson of the board could not make it.
DEMANDS: Some scenes from the TransNamib demonstration today. Photos: Zorena Jantze 
DEMANDS: Some scenes from the TransNamib demonstration today. Photos: Zorena Jantze 
DEMANDS: Some scenes from the TransNamib demonstration today. Photos: Zorena Jantze 
DEMANDS: Some scenes from the TransNamib demonstration today. Photos: Zorena Jantze 
DEMANDS: Some scenes from the TransNamib demonstration today. Photos: Zorena Jantze 
DEMANDS: Some scenes from the TransNamib demonstration today. Photos: Zorena Jantze
Reading the petition, acting general secretary of Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (NATAU) Narina Pollmann claimed that the current management has embarked on a mission to cripple and ensure TransNamib suffers the same fate as Air Namibia.
Pollmann accused executives of looting from the company and closing certain sections and departments of TransNamib to outsource these services allegedly to their family and friends’ businesses.
The workers demanded that besides the CEO, the executives of human capital and properties should also be put on suspension.
The workers also demanded that the bloated management be reduced from nine to six or seven and an investigation carried out on the 50% discount accorded to clients railing with TransNamib.
Pollmann also requested that the current envisaged sale of properties should be halted, especially properties occupied by the employees until workers can negotiate a plan on how they can buy these houses.
The company’s secretary stated that the workers fully welcome the newly introduced Performance Management System policy as it is beneficial for the employee’s growth and development.
Pollmann however asked that the board halt the implementation of the policy until the parties resolve the burning issues.
“Noting that most of the matters here are not new and foreign to you, the shareholder, and the entire Namibian nation at large, we give the board as employees 48 hours to respond to this petition or act accordingly,” Pollmann concluded.
