Grape protesters appear in court

TWELVE retrenched workers of the Grape Valley Management Company at Aussenkehr made a brief appearance in the Karasburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of public violence.

They are Abraham Haimbodi (37), Tobias Fillipus (34), Simon Ananias (34), Josef Ankonga (33), Kesias Kangura (32), Victoria Paulus (30), Simeon Makili (29), Abraham Nandjuwa (31), Elmah Kasungo (25), Johannes Lumita (28), Immanuel Lupido (33) and Peneyambeko Nangolo (40). No bail was granted and the 12 will remain in custody until their next court appearance on July 26.It is expected that more charges will be added to their charge sheet.The retrenched workers were arrested on Thursday, after they had blocked office entrances since last Monday to protest recent job cuts in which 164 of them lost their jobs.In addition, they claimed that workers who had worked more than four year received retrenchment packages ranging between N$1 000 and N$2 000.The job cuts were attributed to a decline in business and the depreciation of the US dollar against the Namibian dollar, which made exports less profitable.Two weeks ago, workers took similar protest action for five days and hampered the running of the business.They left the company premises after management and union representatives agreed to review the retrenchment packages.The recent protests were sparked by the failure of the management and union to finalise retrenchment negotiations by the end of last month.Approached for comment on Friday, Grape Valley General Manager Andre Vermaak blamed the union for the delay in the retrenchment negotiations.He said several attempts by the company to schedule negotiations talks had proved futile.”Union officials, when contacted, are always nowhere to find or are out of the country,” he said.Vermaak said previously the strikers had been paid during their absence “out of goodwill”.No bail was granted and the 12 will remain in custody until their next court appearance on July 26.It is expected that more charges will be added to their charge sheet.The retrenched workers were arrested on Thursday, after they had blocked office entrances since last Monday to protest recent job cuts in which 164 of them lost their jobs.In addition, they claimed that workers who had worked more than four year received retrenchment packages ranging between N$1 000 and N$2 000.The job cuts were attributed to a decline in business and the depreciation of the US dollar against the Namibian dollar, which made exports less profitable.Two weeks ago, workers took similar protest action for five days and hampered the running of the business.They left the company premises after management and union representatives agreed to review the retrenchment packages.The recent protests were sparked by the failure of the management and union to finalise retrenchment negotiations by the end of last month.Approached for comment on Friday, Grape Valley General Manager Andre Vermaak blamed the union for the delay in the retrenchment negotiations.He said several attempts by the company to schedule negotiations talks had proved futile.”Union officials, when contacted, are always nowhere to find or are out of the country,” he said.Vermaak said previously the strikers had been paid during their absence “out of goodwill”.