Editorial: Protecting Workers' Rights
'AN injury to one is an injury to all'.
This slogan, describing the internationalism of workers rights
everywhere, is often bandied about by our unions, yet the same are
ominously quiet about the treatment meted out to foreign workers at
the Ramatex factory in Windhoek.
These workers earn pitiful wages; are housed in inhuman
conditions; have their basic documentation, such as passports, kept
in custody by the company that employs them only to have their
contracts summarily terminated - yet our unions apparently see
nothing wrong with their silence.
This week a new booklet launched on trade unions by the Labour
Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI) urged unions in Namibia to
rethink their role and their future, and this is a timeous
suggestion.
LaRRI Director Herbert Jauch suggested that workers unions in
Namibia were in a dilemma and would have to re-evaluate where they
were heading and how they intended to get there.
He said that since Independence, trade unions had been weak in
influencing policy decisions by Government, largely because they
were not well organised.
Added to this was the fact that they were 'ideologically
confused', mainly because the ruling party, which had once laid
claim to socialist principles, was now on a conservative economic
path, and the unions had to adjust their policies, strategies and
goals accordingly.
The new booklet 'Trade Unions in Namibia - Defining a New Role?'
emphasises the necessity for unions to face up to the challenges of
the future.
It's an open secret that the unions have lost the impact and
clout they enjoyed prior to Independence, and there are many
reasons for this and the general apathy evident when it comes to
May Day celebrations, for example.
Minister of Basic Education, Sport and Culture John Mutorwa took
the issue further at the launch of the booklet this week.
Unions needed to improve recruitment strategies in order to
organise workers in sectors such as the non-traditional sector as
well as also rendering an effective service.
There was also a need for them to ensure functioning structures
and ensure accountability to their membership, and to develop
overall effective strategies for influencing broader socio-economic
policies in favour of workers and the poor in general.
The question of the affiliation of the umbrella NUNW to the
ruling party would need to be, in our view, part of this
assessment.
The alienation of the union leadership from its members would
also need to be brought under the spotlight, or the gap will simply
widen further.
If they are truly unionists at heart, then they would not let
the glaring abuse of workers' rights in the Ramatex example pass
without comment.
'An injury to one is an injury to all' should also form the
foundation of their concern for workers' rights, and hopefully,
although somewhat belatedly, they will yet address this issue.
The choice for the unions was fairly clear, according to Jauch:
either keep up with change and adapt their policies and strategies
accordingly, or risk eroding their mass base and losing more
credibility in the eyes of the workforce in general.
The writing has been on the wall for some time now.
This is not a new revelation, but has been a critique levelled
against our unions for some years.
Hopefully the publication of the booklet will provide further
impetus to the need for our trade unions to review their role in
society, with particular emphasis on exercising their mandate
effectively in future.
These workers earn pitiful wages; are housed in inhuman conditions;
have their basic documentation, such as passports, kept in custody
by the company that employs them only to have their contracts
summarily terminated - yet our unions apparently see nothing wrong
with their silence.This week a new booklet launched on trade unions
by the Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI) urged unions
in Namibia to rethink their role and their future, and this is a
timeous suggestion.LaRRI Director Herbert Jauch suggested that
workers unions in Namibia were in a dilemma and would have to
re-evaluate where they were heading and how they intended to get
there.He said that since Independence, trade unions had been weak
in influencing policy decisions by Government, largely because they
were not well organised.Added to this was the fact that they were
'ideologically confused', mainly because the ruling party, which
had once laid claim to socialist principles, was now on a
conservative economic path, and the unions had to adjust their
policies, strategies and goals accordingly.The new booklet 'Trade
Unions in Namibia - Defining a New Role?' emphasises the necessity
for unions to face up to the challenges of the future.It's an open
secret that the unions have lost the impact and clout they enjoyed
prior to Independence, and there are many reasons for this and the
general apathy evident when it comes to May Day celebrations, for
example.Minister of Basic Education, Sport and Culture John Mutorwa
took the issue further at the launch of the booklet this
week.Unions needed to improve recruitment strategies in order to
organise workers in sectors such as the non-traditional sector as
well as also rendering an effective service.There was also a need
for them to ensure functioning structures and ensure accountability
to their membership, and to develop overall effective strategies
for influencing broader socio-economic policies in favour of
workers and the poor in general.The question of the affiliation of
the umbrella NUNW to the ruling party would need to be, in our
view, part of this assessment.The alienation of the union
leadership from its members would also need to be brought under the
spotlight, or the gap will simply widen further.If they are truly
unionists at heart, then they would not let the glaring abuse of
workers' rights in the Ramatex example pass without comment.'An
injury to one is an injury to all' should also form the foundation
of their concern for workers' rights, and hopefully, although
somewhat belatedly, they will yet address this issue.The choice for
the unions was fairly clear, according to Jauch: either keep up
with change and adapt their policies and strategies accordingly, or
risk eroding their mass base and losing more credibility in the
eyes of the workforce in general.The writing has been on the wall
for some time now.This is not a new revelation, but has been a
critique levelled against our unions for some years.Hopefully the
publication of the booklet will provide further impetus to the need
for our trade unions to review their role in society, with
particular emphasis on exercising their mandate effectively in
future.