Demo shuts Roessing Workers demand higher salary hikes

OPERATIONS at Roessing’s open-pit uranium mine were brought to a halt yesterday when some 450 mineworkers downed tools in protest against salary increases offered by the company.

Roessing Managing Director Michael Leech said the absence of personnel created safety concerns, which led to the temporary shutdown of the open pit shortly after 09h00. The main production plant remained in operation and work resumed at the open pit as soon as the protesters returned to the mine.Under the direction of the Roessing branch of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN), the crowd gathered at the gate to the mine at 08h00 to hand over a petition to Leech and General Manager: Commercial Rehabeam Hoveka.SUFFERING AND SACRIFICES The protesters were not satisfied with handing the petition to HR Manager Sebang Mrwata, who met with them, and nine Roessing buses were used to transport the demonstrators to the company’s offices in Swakopmund, where the petition was presented to Leech in person.The workers demanded a salary increase of eight per cent as well as a lump sum of N$1 850, or alternatively a nine per cent increase across the board.Roessing has offered an eight per cent increase.According to the Chairman of MUN’s Roessing branch, Erich Beukes, the Rio Tinto mining group had declared 2004 the best profit year in a long time.”This was mainly achieved by the suffering and sacrifices of the mass mining workers around the world,” he said.”How can you expect total commitment in productivity if there is no commitment from you when you allow such low salary increases?” Beukes asked.He claimed that the company only selected certain issues as industry practices and ignored other good industry practices that are beneficial to the workers.”For the past five years the company blackmailed the country and the Roessing workers by playing an economic chess game to scare off the workers so that they cannot demand good salary increases or the mine will close down or the workers will scare off potential investors,” said Beukes.”Financial mismanagement is the order of the day here at Roessing where certain managers abuse their positions to recruit retired employees at the expense of promotions and job opportunities to the unemployed, qualified young masses,” he claimed.”Remember,” Beukes said, “your response will determine our future action; it is not a threat but a humble request from your hungry workers.”Hoveka told the media that yesterday’s demonstration was an unusual step since the company and the union had already started wage negotiations on November 30 last year.He said the salary negotiations had not concluded and it was not normal practice to disrupt them if they had not reached deadlock.Roessing’s senior management was informed only on Monday evening about the planned demonstration, said Leech.Since senior managers were tied up in a strategy meeting about the negotiations, they could not meet the workers at the mine gate and arranged for the HR Manager to receive the petition, he said.Hoveka said a national salary survey done by Roessing showed that the eight per cent salary increase offered to employees was reasonable.Benefits offered by Roessing were also on par or better than that of many related companies, he said.”Most companies only contribute 50 per cent to their workers’ medical aid; Roessing contributes 82 per cent.”We are amongst the leaders as far as employment benefits are concerned.I challenge anybody to prove otherwise,” said Hoveka.He said management would study the petition and the salary negotiations would continue today.The salary increases agreed upon will be effective from January 1 2006.The main production plant remained in operation and work resumed at the open pit as soon as the protesters returned to the mine.Under the direction of the Roessing branch of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN), the crowd gathered at the gate to the mine at 08h00 to hand over a petition to Leech and General Manager: Commercial Rehabeam Hoveka. SUFFERING AND SACRIFICES The protesters were not satisfied with handing the petition to HR Manager Sebang Mrwata, who met with them, and nine Roessing buses were used to transport the demonstrators to the company’s offices in Swakopmund, where the petition was presented to Leech in person.The workers demanded a salary increase of eight per cent as well as a lump sum of N$1 850, or alternatively a nine per cent increase across the board.Roessing has offered an eight per cent increase.According to the Chairman of MUN’s Roessing branch, Erich Beukes, the Rio Tinto mining group had declared 2004 the best profit year in a long time.”This was mainly achieved by the suffering and sacrifices of the mass mining workers around the world,” he said.”How can you expect total commitment in productivity if there is no commitment from you when you allow such low salary increases?” Beukes asked.He claimed that the company only selected certain issues as industry practices and ignored other good industry practices that are beneficial to the workers.”For the past five years the company blackmailed the country and the Roessing workers by playing an economic chess game to scare off the workers so that they cannot demand good salary increases or the mine will close down or the workers will scare off potential investors,” said Beukes.”Financial mismanagement is the order of the day here at Roessing where certain managers abuse their positions to recruit retired employees at the expense of promotions and job opportunities to the unemployed, qualified young masses,” he claimed.”Remember,” Beukes said, “your response will determine our future action; it is not a threat but a humble request from your hungry workers.”Hoveka told the media that yesterday’s demonstration was an unusual step since the company and the union had already started wage negotiations on November 30 last year.He said the salary negotiations had not concluded and it was not normal practice to disrupt them if they had not reached deadlock.Roessing’s senior management was informed only on Monday evening about the planned demonstration, said Leech.Since senior managers were tied up in a strategy meeting about the negotiations, they could not meet the workers at the mine gate and arranged for the HR Manager to receive the petition, he said.Hoveka said a national salary survey done by Roessing showed that the eight per cent salary increase offered to employees was reasonable.Benefits offered by Roessing were also on par or better than that of many related companies, he said.”Most companies only contribute 50 per cent to their workers’ medical aid; Roessing contributes 82 per cent.”We are amongst the leaders as far as employment benefits are concerned.I challenge anybody to prove otherwise,” said Hoveka.He said management would study the petition and the salary negotiations would continue today.The salary increases agreed upon will be effective from January 1 2006.