Deadlock at Ramatex

TENSIONS have reached boiling point at the Ramatex Textile Factory after mediation to resolve a wage dispute reached a stalemate.

The factory is refusing to budge from its offer to increase workers’ hourly pay rate by 10 cents. Ramatex Namibia employs about 6 000 local workers.Yesterday, word spread like wildfire that the workers’ request for a N$3 increase on the hourly rate was not even entertained at Tuesday’s mediation meeting.Shop stewards were refusing to formally convey the message to union members.They demanded that the Ramatex management be the ones to deliver the news.Acting General Secretary of the Namibian Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Nafau), Kiros Sackarias, said the union would consider approaching the Office of the Labour Commissioner for the matter to be heard by the Conciliatory Board.”It’s the only step now,” said Sackarias.”We really tried, but they are really rigid.We have maintained our readiness to negotiate.There is nothing we can do.”Workers had demanded a wage increase effective October.Since the factory opened they have worked for the same salary – between N$3 and N$4 an hour.Workers receive no benefits over and above their basic wage.Ramatex General Manager BK Ong told The Namibian that his management would await advice from the Labour Commissioner on how to resolve the dispute.”We will do our best,” he said yesterday.Ong said it was up to Nafau to inform its members of the outcome of the mediation meeting.Earlier Ong told The Namibian that the factory could not offer the workers more than what was on the table because production had not reached the expected level.”They are hearing stories.These workers are not interested in conciliation.If it is still 10 cents [that is being offered], they are not interested,” said one worker.Reports that the matter might only be heard by a conciliatory body in the new year have pushed workers to the end of their tether.When the dispute was declared last month, workers said they would only remain patient until the end of the mediation process before resorting to industrial action.Workers firmly believe that they are being deliberately provoked to take action to pave the way for the Windhoek-based textile operation to shut down and move to more lucrative locations abroad.After a report in The Namibian over workers’ unhappiness over the wage dispute last month, Ong issued a statement to Nafau, telling it to gag its members from making public statements on the situation.This incensed workers even more, but Nafau said in a country where freedom of speech was cherished, workers could not be stopped from expressing themselves.Ramatex maintained that negotiations could be jeopardised by media reports.”They want to close, just like they did with Rhino,” said an irate worker yesterday.Rhino Garments, which worked on contract to Ramatex, closed in April, allegedly because not enough work was being received to sustain operations.Ramatex Namibia employs about 6 000 local workers.Yesterday, word spread like wildfire that the workers’ request for a N$3 increase on the hourly rate was not even entertained at Tuesday’s mediation meeting.Shop stewards were refusing to formally convey the message to union members.They demanded that the Ramatex management be the ones to deliver the news.Acting General Secretary of the Namibian Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Nafau), Kiros Sackarias, said the union would consider approaching the Office of the Labour Commissioner for the matter to be heard by the Conciliatory Board.”It’s the only step now,” said Sackarias.”We really tried, but they are really rigid.We have maintained our readiness to negotiate.There is nothing we can do.”Workers had demanded a wage increase effective October.Since the factory opened they have worked for the same salary – between N$3 and N$4 an hour.Workers receive no benefits over and above their basic wage.Ramatex General Manager BK Ong told The Namibian that his management would await advice from the Labour Commissioner on how to resolve the dispute.”We will do our best,” he said yesterday.Ong said it was up to Nafau to inform its members of the outcome of the mediation meeting.Earlier Ong told The Namibian that the factory could not offer the workers more than what was on the table because production had not reached the expected level.”They are hearing stories.These workers are not interested in conciliation.If it is still 10 cents [that is being offered], they are not interested,” said one worker. Reports that the matter might only be heard by a conciliatory body in the new year have pushed workers to the end of their tether.When the dispute was declared last month, workers said they would only remain patient until the end of the mediation process before resorting to industrial action.Workers firmly believe that they are being deliberately provoked to take action to pave the way for the Windhoek-based textile operation to shut down and move to more lucrative locations abroad.After a report in The Namibian over workers’ unhappiness over the wage dispute last month, Ong issued a statement to Nafau, telling it to gag its members from making public statements on the situation.This incensed workers even more, but Nafau said in a country where freedom of speech was cherished, workers could not be stopped from expressing themselves.Ramatex maintained that negotiations could be jeopardised by media reports.”They want to close, just like they did with Rhino,” said an irate worker yesterday.Rhino Garments, which worked on contract to Ramatex, closed in April, allegedly because not enough work was being received to sustain operations.