Bring on the extra leave days, we’re happy: union

THE Public Service Union of Namibia says it is happy with the new Labour Bill and claims that the Namibian Employers’ Federation (NEF) is making a big fuss about nothing.

Victor Kazonyati, Secretary General of PSUN, told a media briefing last week that there was nothing “dramatically different in the new Labour Bill from the old Act to warrant the hue and cry from NEF”. The NEF has expressed major concerns about the bill in its current form, arguing that it will be bad for investment, and militates against Namibia achieving the goals set out in Vision 2030.The bill proposes annual leave of “four working weeks” instead of the current 18 working days stipulated by the Labour Act of 1992.The federation says this will have a negative impact on attracting the foreign investment so badly needed by the country.It also has a problem with the five days’ compassionate leave, in addition to the extended annual leave, a year provided for in the new bill.The NEF says unlike other countries in the region where employers can negotiate compassionate leave with their staff, in Namibia it is to become law.The proposed annual leave would be the highest in the SADC region, it says, while corporate tax of a high 35 per cent adds to the private sector’s woes.Kazonyati charged that the NEF was comparing the labour bill to those of other countries without due regard for the specific peculiarities of the country and its people.”We have a different history, which has had a considerable influence on who we are and which defines our socio-economic realities.You cannot just lump us with other countries for the purposes of what laws should be promulgated for the people of this country.The same is, of course, true in any given situation,” he said.Kazonyati called for a proper and objective study of national “peculiarities” before criticising legislation.The NEF maintains that in the long run the new labour bill will work against employees and the unemployed, adding that when “disaster strikes it will be too late” and Vision 2030 will remain a mere dream.The bill is expected to become law this year.The NEF has expressed major concerns about the bill in its current form, arguing that it will be bad for investment, and militates against Namibia achieving the goals set out in Vision 2030. The bill proposes annual leave of “four working weeks” instead of the current 18 working days stipulated by the Labour Act of 1992.The federation says this will have a negative impact on attracting the foreign investment so badly needed by the country.It also has a problem with the five days’ compassionate leave, in addition to the extended annual leave, a year provided for in the new bill.The NEF says unlike other countries in the region where employers can negotiate compassionate leave with their staff, in Namibia it is to become law.The proposed annual leave would be the highest in the SADC region, it says, while corporate tax of a high 35 per cent adds to the private sector’s woes.Kazonyati charged that the NEF was comparing the labour bill to those of other countries without due regard for the specific peculiarities of the country and its people.”We have a different history, which has had a considerable influence on who we are and which defines our socio-economic realities.You cannot just lump us with other countries for the purposes of what laws should be promulgated for the people of this country.The same is, of course, true in any given situation,” he said.Kazonyati called for a proper and objective study of national “peculiarities” before criticising legislation.The NEF maintains that in the long run the new labour bill will work against employees and the unemployed, adding that when “disaster strikes it will be too late” and Vision 2030 will remain a mere dream.The bill is expected to become law this year.