NovaNam rehires workers

By: DENVER ISAACS

THE 356 workers who were dismissed by the Luederitz-based fishing company NovaNam last month will be allowed to return to work next week.

Representatives from NovaNam, the Namibian Seaman and Allied

Workers' Union (Nasawu) and the Namibian Food and Allied Workers'

Union (Nafau) signed an agreement in Windhoek yesterday.

In terms of the agreement, the workers will be reinstated,

albeit with a number of terms and conditions.

 

All 356 employees will be issued with a final written warning

valid for 12 months, while the company will contribute 50 per cent

less towards their pension benefits for the same period.

 

The agreement also states that the affected employees will not

receive any back pay, including on bonuses and pension, from the

date of their suspension until the date of their return to

work.

 

ILLEGAL STRIKE The two unions have in turn agreed to withdraw

their respective appeals lodged against the company's decision to

dismiss the workers.

 

The agreement yesterday followed a daylong meeting on Monday

between NovaNam, the two unions and the Minister of Fisheries,

Abraham Iyambo.

 

The workers will return to their jobs on Tuesday, after signing

letters accepting the terms and conditions and the written

warnings.

 

The information will be formally shared with workers tomorrow,

Iyambo said yesterday.

 

The 356 employees were dismissed from their jobs with immediate

effect last month, following an illegal strike over salaries last

year.

 

Despite a recommendation from legal practitioners that the

workers be issued with final written warnings, NovaNam then said

that the situation was too serious, and that dismissal was deemed

necessary.

 

The two unions then wrote letters to the Permanent Secretary of

Labour, requesting consultation with the Ministry of Labour and

Social Welfare and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine

Resources.

 

The Deputy Minister of Labour, Petrus Iilonga, thanked the

company for withdrawing its original decision, saying that it was

important for them to consider not only the economic considerations

of their decisions, but also the social and political

aftermath.

 

He likewise thanked the unions for accepting the conditions

attached to the reinstatement of the employees, and appealed to

them to teach their members about their rights, so as to avoid a

similar scenario in the future.

 

Iilonga also asked all the parties to refrain from provocation

to "make sure that all of them (affected employees) get a pass

mark, not finding themselves on the wrong side during the next 12

months."

 

The agreement was signed by NovaNam's General Manager for Human

Resources, Dawid Pokolo, Nasawu president Paulus Hango, and Nafau

president David Namalenga.

 

The Permanent Secretaries of Labour and Fisheries signed the

agreement as witnesses.

 

In terms of the agreement, the workers will be reinstated, albeit

with a number of terms and conditions.All 356 employees will be

issued with a final written warning valid for 12 months, while the

company will contribute 50 per cent less towards their pension

benefits for the same period.The agreement also states that the

affected employees will not receive any back pay, including on

bonuses and pension, from the date of their suspension until the

date of their return to work. ILLEGAL STRIKE The two unions have in

turn agreed to withdraw their respective appeals lodged against the

company's decision to dismiss the workers.The agreement yesterday

followed a daylong meeting on Monday between NovaNam, the two

unions and the Minister of Fisheries, Abraham Iyambo.The workers

will return to their jobs on Tuesday, after signing letters

accepting the terms and conditions and the written warnings.The

information will be formally shared with workers tomorrow, Iyambo

said yesterday.The 356 employees were dismissed from their jobs

with immediate effect last month, following an illegal strike over

salaries last year.Despite a recommendation from legal

practitioners that the workers be issued with final written

warnings, NovaNam then said that the situation was too serious, and

that dismissal was deemed necessary.The two unions then wrote

letters to the Permanent Secretary of Labour, requesting

consultation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the

Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. The Deputy Minister of

Labour, Petrus Iilonga, thanked the company for withdrawing its

original decision, saying that it was important for them to

consider not only the economic considerations of their decisions,

but also the social and political aftermath.He likewise thanked the

unions for accepting the conditions attached to the reinstatement

of the employees, and appealed to them to teach their members about

their rights, so as to avoid a similar scenario in the

future.Iilonga also asked all the parties to refrain from

provocation to "make sure that all of them (affected employees) get

a pass mark, not finding themselves on the wrong side during the

next 12 months."The agreement was signed by NovaNam's General

Manager for Human Resources, Dawid Pokolo, Nasawu president Paulus

Hango, and Nafau president David Namalenga.The Permanent

Secretaries of Labour and Fisheries signed the agreement as

witnesses.

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