NUNW congress ready to go

By: TILENI MONGUDHI

THE National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) secretary general yesterday held a meeting with affiliated industrial unions’ general secretaries to iron out the contentious issue of this coming weekend’s congress agenda.

The agenda had been a ‘hot potato’ all along in the run-up to the all important gathering held every four years. Some trade union leaders have been campaigning that issues directly affecting workers, such as the GIPF pension savings debacle and the Basic Income Grant (BIG), be discussed. Others appear to want these burning issues to be swept under the carpet.
NUNW recently withdrew from the BIG coalition, which has been advocating that every family member in a household be given N$100 to supplement income. It is believed that the leadership of the workers movement withdrew from this poverty alleviation measure because of pressure from Government, who did not support the idea of a N$100 grant.
The GIPF pension investment scandal is another thorny issue which some union leaders, particularly those who serve as trustees on GIPF, would not want to be debated at the congress.
This has pitted NUNW secretary general Evilastus Kaaronda against the general secretaries of Namibia Public Workers Union (NAPWU) and Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu). The two industrial unions have representation on the GIPF board of trustees.
Other issues to be discussed at the congress relate to whether it is appropriate for union leaders to sit on company boards, and if people serving in industrial relations, or human resources departments of companies, should be elected to union leadership positions.
A section of the leadership was determined to see ‘sensitive’ issues removed from the agenda after they allegedly felt targeted, should the issues come to the congress.
The NUNW constitution states that information such as an agenda must be finalised a month before the congress starts, but it appears that this requirement has been ignored.
The Namibian also has it on good authority that politicians are closely following  developments leading to the congress, and with a keen interest. Their interest, it is believed, is to influence the outcome of the leadership battle, in view of Swapo’s congress in 2012.
NUNW, as a Swapo Party affiliate, is entitled to 15 delegates to the Swapo congress.
Some senior Swapo leaders are said to have been openly taking sides in the hope that the leadership that takes over the running of the unions’ umbrella body will help them at the congress. Two Cabinet ministers are said to have tried to get involved and even blocked the ‘sensitive’ issues from getting to the congress floor.
The contest is still said to be between two camps, one lead by  Peter Nevonga of the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) and NUNW acting president David Namalenga, on one hand, and Kaaronda on the other. Kaaronda has demanded that those who represented workers’ interests on the GIPF board be held accountable for the losses and, since then, a campaign to oust him was ignited.
Those wanting to outvote Kaaronda at the congress this weekend allegedly said Kaaronda has administratively failed to run the NUNW, and has unspecified “shortcomings” as a union leader.
Meanwhile Napwu members in the regions, especially those coming as delegates to the congress, have been told not to vote for Kaaronda as Secretary General, but to cast their ballots for the former general secretary of the Namibia Farm Workers Union, Alfred Angula, and Namalenga as president. The Namibian has been forwarded an SMS to that effect.  
Despite the voting going ahead, Napwu members who will attend the congress expressed fear, since they claim they are being forced to vote for candidates against their will by some of their leaders. Allegations of intimidation have also been levelled against some Napwu leaders.
Napwu is expected to have the most delegates at the congress, but it appears that its vote will be split.

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