Asian construction labour in firing line

THE takeover of the construction industry by Asian companies and Asian employees to the detriment of Namibians is of serious concern to the Namibian Employers’ Federation (NEF).

NEF Secretary General Tim Parkhouse told a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social and Community Development yesterday that it had written to Labour Minister Alpheus !Naruseb to ask him to look into the situation. Parkhouse alleged that Government was not implementing its affirmative action policies fairly.He contended that on most construction sites where Asian employees worked, there were no Namibians working alongside them as understudies.”How can these companies get away with it when Namibian companies are forced to have an understudy to a foreign worker?” Parkhouse wanted to know.The NEF said the situation in the construction industry was discouraging to Namibian companies who were trying to comply with the Affirmative Action law.It said it had been informed by the Labour Ministry that labour inspectors would be sent to construction sites where Asians worked to investigate whether they were complying with labour laws.The parliamentary committee has been given the job of investigating the progress and obstacles to implementing the Affirmative Action Act.Parkhouse said Namibian companies had even been forced to shut down – resulting in hundreds of job losses – because they were not receiving work.In the NEF’s view, much of the work being done on construction sites where Asians were working required only very basic skills that Namibians would either be capable of doing or learning.Parkhouse alleged that Government was not implementing its affirmative action policies fairly.He contended that on most construction sites where Asian employees worked, there were no Namibians working alongside them as understudies.”How can these companies get away with it when Namibian companies are forced to have an understudy to a foreign worker?” Parkhouse wanted to know.The NEF said the situation in the construction industry was discouraging to Namibian companies who were trying to comply with the Affirmative Action law.It said it had been informed by the Labour Ministry that labour inspectors would be sent to construction sites where Asians worked to investigate whether they were complying with labour laws.The parliamentary committee has been given the job of investigating the progress and obstacles to implementing the Affirmative Action Act.Parkhouse said Namibian companies had even been forced to shut down – resulting in hundreds of job losses – because they were not receiving work.In the NEF’s view, much of the work being done on construction sites where Asians were working required only very basic skills that Namibians would either be capable of doing or learning.