Fishermen demand jobs after years of unemployment

Former United Fishing Enterprises workers say they have been without jobs since 2018 and are now calling on the government to intervene and help them return to work.

The group submitted a petition to Erongo governor Natalia Goagoses on 9 April, saying their situation has worsened since the pilchard moratorium forced the closure of their company.

“Since our company was closed due to the pilchard moratorium in 2018, we have been unemployed to date,” the workers say in their petition.

They say efforts to seek assistance from the government have not yielded results.

“We have been knocking on all government doors to seek alternative means of re-employment… We have not received any solution or response,” the petition reads.

The workers say the prolonged unemployment has pushed many into poverty. They are now calling for fishing quotas to be allocated in a way that creates jobs.

“What we want is fish quotas to be allocated to any company that can employ us with decent jobs… that offers fair income, job security and social protection,” the petition states.

United Fishing Enterprises, part of the Namsov group, was affected by reduced quotas and financial pressure in 2018, leading to the company’s collapse, restructuring and the closure of its Walvis Bay cannery.

In a separate petition, workers from Etosha Fishing Corporation say they have been kept as seasonal workers for years, despite long service.

“Our employment is limited to only one to three months at a time, after which we are sent home without any meaningful benefits,” they say.

They say most of the workforce remains in unstable conditions.

“To date, 95% of its workforce consists of seasonal employees. . . We are sent home starving, waiting for the next season to start,” the petition reads.

The workers call on the government to investigate quota allocations and ensure it benefits Namibians.

“We strongly believe that we should be employed on a more stable basis, ideally throughout the year,” they say.

They add that operations could continue if companies are allowed to process different fish species.

“In cases where one fish species is no longer available, operations should shift to other species,” the petition states.

Workers have also raised concerns about poverty and the lack of benefits.

“It has become extremely difficult to make ends meet. We are parents and breadwinners,” they say.

Meanwhile, workers from Helgoland Fishing have raised concerns about labour practices, including the use of third-party employment.

“Workers have been engaged under third-party employment arrangements rather than directly by designated entities,” they say.

They also criticise the ‘no work, no pay’ conditions and lack of job security.

“This situation has reached a critical stage,” says Mining, Metal, Maritime and Construction Workers Union secretary general Joseph Garoëb.

The petitions come two weeks after fishing industry workers marched at Walvis Bay to protest the auctioning of fishing quotas, saying the system is contributing to job insecurity.

Workers from Embwinda, Tunacor, Merlus, Gendev and Seawork say quota auctions favour the highest bidders and prevent companies from offering permanent jobs.

Governor Goagoses says she will consult the chairperson of the Erongo Regional Council, Lazarus Kanelombe, and respond to the fishermen next week.

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