Staff Reporter
THE Namibian Revolutionary Transport and Manufacturing Union has said that the Namib Mills strike has entered day 54, and that workers have gone for a period of two months without salary payments due to a “no work, no pay” policy the company has instituted.
Giving an update on the strike, the secretary-general of the Revolutionary Transport and Manufacturing Union, Peterson Kambinda, said that close to 1 000 workers in Windhoek, Otavi and Walvis Bay have continued with the strike despite the circumstances they face, and has called on President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to come to their aid, warning that the country may face a food crisis, as staple foods such as maize, bread and pasta could run out on the shelves of shops should things continue as they are.
“Today marks 54 days from the time which we embarked on the industrial action. If you look behind me, you see determined workers who are prepared, and giving up is not an option to them. They are so determined that our demands need to be met,” Kambinda said.
He added that to date, the union has had four meetings with the Minister of Justice and Labour Relations, Wise Immanuel, who tried to resolve the matter.
Kambinda, however, stated that the union is dealing with a very “arrogant” employer, and that the Minister of Labour could not direct the company, Namib Mills, on what to offer workers, nor tell workers what to accept.
“We have attempted, but we have not reached an agreement. We have elected, for this reason, a leader in our government. We are calling on our President, Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, to intervene to resolve this matter. It cannot be correct that close to 1 000 employees have been on industrial action and nothing is done. Government cannot take a spectator role. Our last hope is Her Excellency,” Kambinda said.
Photo: NBC Digital News
