Govt fed up with illegal strikes

TEMPERS flared at a meeting in Luederitz on Thursday, where workers rehired by the NovaNam fishing company were informed of the conditions of their re-employment.

The 356 workers were dismissed after an illegal strike over salaries last year, but were rehired after representatives from NovaNam, the Namibian Seamen and Allied Workers’ Union (Nasawu) and the Namibian Food and Allied Workers’ Union signed an agreement last week. At the closure of the briefing session chaired by Fisheries Minister Dr Abraham Iyambo, and attended by Deputy Minister of Labour Peter Iilonga and representatives of NovaNam and the unions, furious workers prevented the delegates from leaving the conference room of the Nest Hotel.The workers accused the ministers of siding with the company and demanded an opportunity to ask questions about the agreement the parties had reached.However, the workers settled down when they were given an opportunity to air their concerns and the Police were called in to monitor the situation.The workers expressed anger over the decision by the negotiating parties to issue all 356 employees with a final written warning valid for 12 months, claiming that the agreement would be used to victimise them.However, none of the workers indicated that they would not sign the new employment conditions.They have to report for duty tomorrow.NovaNam Human Resources Manager David Pokolo pledged that the final written warning would not be used to victimise the workers.He admitted that a lack of proper communication channels between management and workers at the company might have contributed to past industrial actions at the company.”There is always room for improvement, therefore we need to redress the system of communications,” he said.Pokolo called on workers to avoid illegal strikes in future, since strikes had a negative impact on the economic growth of the country.”We all must ensure that the company is sustainable for the sake of economic growth,” he urged the workers.Speaking at the briefing session, Fisheries Minister Iyambo warned workers and union shop stewards that Government would no longer tolerate illegal industrial action.”The time has come to implement legal machinery to punish union shop stewards who instigate workers to stage illegal strikes,” the minister said.He noted that there had been 20 illegal strikes at NovaNam since the company began its operations.”You let down the Government every time you went on illegal strike,” he said.”We feel embarrassed to beg employers to allow workers to return to work after dismissals resulting from illegal strikes.”Iyambo appealed to workers to make 2006 the year of industrial peace, productivity and dialogue.At the closure of the briefing session chaired by Fisheries Minister Dr Abraham Iyambo, and attended by Deputy Minister of Labour Peter Iilonga and representatives of NovaNam and the unions, furious workers prevented the delegates from leaving the conference room of the Nest Hotel.The workers accused the ministers of siding with the company and demanded an opportunity to ask questions about the agreement the parties had reached.However, the workers settled down when they were given an opportunity to air their concerns and the Police were called in to monitor the situation.The workers expressed anger over the decision by the negotiating parties to issue all 356 employees with a final written warning valid for 12 months, claiming that the agreement would be used to victimise them.However, none of the workers indicated that they would not sign the new employment conditions.They have to report for duty tomorrow.NovaNam Human Resources Manager David Pokolo pledged that the final written warning would not be used to victimise the workers.He admitted that a lack of proper communication channels between management and workers at the company might have contributed to past industrial actions at the company.”There is always room for improvement, therefore we need to redress the system of communications,” he said.Pokolo called on workers to avoid illegal strikes in future, since strikes had a negative impact on the economic growth of the country.”We all must ensure that the company is sustainable for the sake of economic growth,” he urged the workers.Speaking at the briefing session, Fisheries Minister Iyambo warned workers and union shop stewards that Government would no longer tolerate illegal industrial action.”The time has come to implement legal machinery to punish union shop stewards who instigate workers to stage illegal strikes,” the minister said.He noted that there had been 20 illegal strikes at NovaNam since the company began its operations.”You let down the Government every time you went on illegal strike,” he said.”We feel embarrassed to beg employers to allow workers to return to work after dismissals resulting from illegal strikes.”Iyambo appealed to workers to make 2006 the year of industrial peace, productivity and dialogue.