LLD dismisses striking workers

NEARLY three weeks of controversial industrial action at Lev Leviev Diamonds (LLD) yesterday ended in the sacking of 148 striking workers.

About 100 others, who have not been camping out near LLD’s premises, are to be served with notices of dismissal by the Messenger of the High Court today. The Windhoek-based diamond-polishing factory yesterday finalised a series of disciplinary hearings that were held on Thursday and Friday, albeit in the absence of the workers affected.Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) General Secretary Joseph Hengari said yesterday that the union would appeal the dismissals.Both the union and workers maintained yesterday that they were not guilty of an illegal strike as the company claimed, but rather considered themselves under suspension by their employer.The strike began on June 18, when workers walked out of a meeting called to deal with a number of grievances, citing the presence of the company’s legal representative as reason.According to the workers, the lawyer, Richard Mueller, was responsible for a number of delays and postponements in their search for a solution.The company responded by suspending the workers, but later offered a compromise deal, telling workers that if they returned to work last Monday, all charges against them would be dropped.By Wednesday, the company’s stance was that workers were invited back, but would face disciplinary action for their participation in the strike.The workers maintained that the only way their suspension could be lifted was through mediation between the company and the MUN.Demonstrators spoken to yesterday vowed to remain camping near the company offices in Windhoek’s Northern Industrial Area pending their appeal.The union added that, starting today, its legal representatives would look into the matter.”We told the company that we were still in a negotiation process, but then they decided to invite the workers back.According to us they did not follow the right procedures,” Hengari told The Namibian.He added that the union supported the workers’ decision to remain camping in the two tents they have pitched in front of Hartliefs Continental Meat Products.”We told them that, due to the termination we don’t really see any reason for them to remain there.But it does give us a point where we can meet them, so we’ve said that they can remain there,” he said.The spokesperson for the group, Mathew Mtembi, complained about conditions in the tents, saying that especially sanitation was becoming a problem.”At the start of the demonstration, there was a woman from the [Windhoek] Municipality who said that they would come and set up toilets here, but they haven’t been back since.Right now, we go to the bush (sic),” he said.A number of local businesspeople had been donating food to the protesters, he said.The Windhoek-based diamond-polishing factory yesterday finalised a series of disciplinary hearings that were held on Thursday and Friday, albeit in the absence of the workers affected.Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) General Secretary Joseph Hengari said yesterday that the union would appeal the dismissals.Both the union and workers maintained yesterday that they were not guilty of an illegal strike as the company claimed, but rather considered themselves under suspension by their employer.The strike began on June 18, when workers walked out of a meeting called to deal with a number of grievances, citing the presence of the company’s legal representative as reason.According to the workers, the lawyer, Richard Mueller, was responsible for a number of delays and postponements in their search for a solution.The company responded by suspending the workers, but later offered a compromise deal, telling workers that if they returned to work last Monday, all charges against them would be dropped.By Wednesday, the company’s stance was that workers were invited back, but would face disciplinary action for their participation in the strike.The workers maintained that the only way their suspension could be lifted was through mediation between the company and the MUN.Demonstrators spoken to yesterday vowed to remain camping near the company offices in Windhoek’s Northern Industrial Area pending their appeal.The union added that, starting today, its legal representatives would look into the matter.”We told the company that we were still in a negotiation process, but then they decided to invite the workers back.According to us they did not follow the right procedures,” Hengari told The Namibian.He added that the union supported the workers’ decision to remain camping in the two tents they have pitched in front of Hartliefs Continental Meat Products.”We told them that, due to the termination we don’t really see any reason for them to remain there.But it does give us a point where we can meet them, so we’ve said that they can remain there,” he said.The spokesperson for the group, Mathew Mtembi, complained about conditions in the tents, saying that especially sanitation was becoming a problem.”At the start of the demonstration, there was a woman from the [Windhoek] Municipality who said that they would come and set up toilets here, but they haven’t been back since.Right now, we go to the bush (sic),” he said.A number of local businesspeople had been donating food to the protesters, he said.