LLD gives striking workers ultimatum

AT least 150 workers from Lev Leviev Diamonds (LLD) Namibia risk being thrown on the streets if they continue to defy an invitation by the company to return to work and face disciplinary action.

The workers have been on a strike for the past two weeks and are refusing to resume work, unless their claimed grievances are dealt with. The company yesterday with the disciplinary hearings of a number of the employees, who have been camping in the cold outside the company premises.By the end of business yesterday, not a single worker had returned to their duty stations.The workers’ industrial action stems from a demand for the dismissal of company General Manager Mike Nesongano.The workers walked out of a meeting called to deal with their grievances and a number of others, because of the presence of the company’s legal representative, Richard Mueller.The workers’ spokesperson, Mathew Mtembi, claimed that Mueller was responsible for a number of delays, which in turn prompted a host of postponements to finding a solution to problems.According to LLD Operations Manager Clarky Mckay, the two-week strike was illegal and as a result those participating in the industrial action had been suspended.On Monday, the company offered a compromise deal, telling workers that if they returned to work that day, all charges against them would be dropped.Only about 10 workers heeded the call.The company decided to deal with the rest of the workers through disciplinery hearings, a process which started yesterday and is set to be completed by this afternoon.”If they do not comply by end of business today, there are unfortunately steps that we are required to take,” McKay said yesterday, adding that the company could simply not allow the current situation to run indefinitely.”The workers need to understand that we don’t want to lose them.These are skills that we’ll be losing, skills that the company invested dearly in,” he said.He charged that the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) and its leaders did not have the best interests of the workers at heart.”It seems the information we send out through their representatives don’t reach the workers.From those who have come back to work, we heard that they had come to know of our offer on Monday late.And we tried every means possible to reach them, not only through their representatives but through radio, newspapers and TV announcements,” he said.He added that three criminal cases have been laid this week against members of the striking group, stemming from alleged assault to intimidation of workers who had decided to return to work.The company yesterday with the disciplinary hearings of a number of the employees, who have been camping in the cold outside the company premises.By the end of business yesterday, not a single worker had returned to their duty stations.The workers’ industrial action stems from a demand for the dismissal of company General Manager Mike Nesongano.The workers walked out of a meeting called to deal with their grievances and a number of others, because of the presence of the company’s legal representative, Richard Mueller.The workers’ spokesperson, Mathew Mtembi, claimed that Mueller was responsible for a number of delays, which in turn prompted a host of postponements to finding a solution to problems.According to LLD Operations Manager Clarky Mckay, the two-week strike was illegal and as a result those participating in the industrial action had been suspended.On Monday, the company offered a compromise deal, telling workers that if they returned to work that day, all charges against them would be dropped.Only about 10 workers heeded the call.The company decided to deal with the rest of the workers through disciplinery hearings, a process which started yesterday and is set to be completed by this afternoon.”If they do not comply by end of business today, there are unfortunately steps that we are required to take,” McKay said yesterday, adding that the company could simply not allow the current situation to run indefinitely.”The workers need to understand that we don’t want to lose them.These are skills that we’ll be losing, skills that the company invested dearly in,” he said.He charged that the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) and its leaders did not have the best interests of the workers at heart.”It seems the information we send out through their representatives don’t reach the workers.From those who have come back to work, we heard that they had come to know of our offer on Monday late.And we tried every means possible to reach them, not only through their representatives but through radio, newspapers and TV announcements,” he said.He added that three criminal cases have been laid this week against members of the striking group, stemming from alleged assault to intimidation of workers who had decided to return to work.