Council staff at Arandis strike over unpaid medical aid fees

ABOUT 40 employees at the Arandis Town Council went on a seven-hour strike on Monday over outstanding medical aid payments.

The Council allegedly failed to pay employees’ monthly medical contributions to Namibia Medical Care (NMC) for four months, according to Panduleni Haufiku, full-time Shop Steward of the Council and Chairperson of the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) Arandis Branch. Other monthly payments have also not been processed, according to Haufiku.He added that the workers decided to concentrate on the medical aid fees first as it was a “matter of emergency.We cannot go without medical care”.He told The Namibian that employees only found out about the non-payment when they were refused medical treatment at the clinic.”The doctors said they could not treat us as NMC was not paying because of outstanding payments by Council,” he said.The employees gave Council prior warning of their concern in a letter before demonstrating outside the office on Monday.They only returned to work after 15h00 when Acting Town Clerk, Patrick Haushona, showed them proof that more than N$200 000 was paid to NMC on Saturday to cover outstanding costs up to January.”February is still outstanding, but Council has agreed with NMC to pay it before March the 7th,” said Haufiku.NMC sent a fax to confirm the payment.The Acting Town Clerk refused to call the employees’ seven-hour work stoppage a strike.According to Haufiku payments on employees’ pension fund had also not been paid for more than four months, while other subtractions, such as for Michelle McLean Trust, had not been processed.”Council tells us it is because of financial problems.This money is supposed to come from our salaries, how can they not subtract it? They are not allowed to use our money for Council costs”.It is not the first time the Arandis Council has been accused of financial mismanagement.In November, about 80 residents declared they had no confidence in the Mayor because of the alleged misuse of funds earmarked for the Build Together Programme.The group, led by the Build Together Development Committee, handed over a petition to the Mayor demanding details on N$700 000 allocated to the Town Council in 1999.The community ran out of patience when Mayor Thomas Kaimbi could not answer their questions and explain what had become of the money.Earlier in the year, the former Council accountant disappeared from the town after she was suspended for alleged fraud involving N$60 000.Other monthly payments have also not been processed, according to Haufiku. He added that the workers decided to concentrate on the medical aid fees first as it was a “matter of emergency. We cannot go without medical care”. He told The Namibian that employees only found out about the non-payment when they were refused medical treatment at the clinic. “The doctors said they could not treat us as NMC was not paying because of outstanding payments by Council,” he said. The employees gave Council prior warning of their concern in a letter before demonstrating outside the office on Monday. They only returned to work after 15h00 when Acting Town Clerk, Patrick Haushona, showed them proof that more than N$200 000 was paid to NMC on Saturday to cover outstanding costs up to January. “February is still outstanding, but Council has agreed with NMC to pay it before March the 7th,” said Haufiku. NMC sent a fax to confirm the payment. The Acting Town Clerk refused to call the employees’ seven-hour work stoppage a strike. According to Haufiku payments on employees’ pension fund had also not been paid for more than four months, while other subtractions, such as for Michelle McLean Trust, had not been processed. “Council tells us it is because of financial problems. This money is supposed to come from our salaries, how can they not subtract it? They are not allowed to use our money for Council costs”. It is not the first time the Arandis Council has been accused of financial mismanagement. In November, about 80 residents declared they had no confidence in the Mayor because of the alleged misuse of funds earmarked for the Build Together Programme. The group, led by the Build Together Development Committee, handed over a petition to the Mayor demanding details on N$700 000 allocated to the Town Council in 1999. The community ran out of patience when Mayor Thomas Kaimbi could not answer their questions and explain what had become of the money. Earlier in the year, the former Council accountant disappeared from the town after she was suspended for alleged fraud involving N$60 000.