May Day, Workers’ Rights And The Economy

IT is to be hoped that the national congress of the National Union of Namibia Workers (NUNW), expected to attract a record number of participants, will focus its energies on workers’ rights and issues related to the economy, rather than engage in a continuation of the political infighting that has characterised the activities of the umbrella body for the past few months.

There is no doubt that the leadership crisis needs to be resolved, and quickly, or the NUNW faces losing credibility among its not insignificant support base, but this should not be at the expense of neglecting burning issues of national import. The whole question of affiliation of the NUNW to the ruling party, Swapo, and the predicament this political alliance risked for the country’s biggest union, has been a concern raised by this newspaper for many years.In a sense the ‘chickens have now come home to roost’ as manifested in the leadership controversy, which has already found its way to the High Court of Namibia.So that remains a matter that the NUNW has to deal with and resolve, hopefully once and for all.But even if this is the issue at the top of the agenda, there remain crucial topics that call for urgent union scrutiny and input.Herbert Jauch of the Labour Research and Research Institute (LaRRI) has correctly pointed out that a fragmented labour movement does not serve the interests of the workers.We could add that it does not serve the interests of the country either.It may be too much to hope for, under the circumstances, that the NUNW will address in any great depth issues such as labour and the economy, focusing on both the rights and the responsibilities of workers, but hopefully there will be room for this and other topics on the agenda.Jauch added that the NUNW needed also to concern itself with direct labour matters such as the Ramatex issue, and perhaps even more crucially at this juncture, the question of Black Empowerment vis-à-vis the black workers of this country.Also of importance is the NUNW’s own business interests and how these have (or have not) advanced the interests of workers themselves.Said Manfred Jatamunua of the rival Public Service Union of Namibia (PSUN), “the NUNW has been in businesses (Ongopolo among others) for a long time but there is no benefit that has gone to workers”.For economic growth to take effect in Namibia, said Mihe Gaomab II of the Namibia Economic Society, unions had to focus on the tripartite alliance between unions, private sector and Government.Since the theme of the discussions is ‘Decent Jobs Now and Beyond 2030′, the NUNW discussions this weekend need to be forward-looking.Monday is May 1, International Workers’ Day, and commemoration of this event has been dismal in Namibia for the past years.It would appear to be a sign that workers themselves are not openly rallying behind their unions, which are increasingly being seen as losing touch with their constituencies.The NUNW can try and put this perception to rights if they approach their discussions, as well as the most controversial subject of all, their leadership crisis, in a mature and democratic way, and ensure that the Congress does not simply disintegrate into chaos and more political in-fighting.It is almost certain that President Hifikepunye Pohamba, when he opens the weekend proceedings, will touch on these and other topics and encourage a working together for the sake of unity of the labour movement in general, and in particular, the future health and prosperity of our economy and those who are part of it.The whole question of affiliation of the NUNW to the ruling party, Swapo, and the predicament this political alliance risked for the country’s biggest union, has been a concern raised by this newspaper for many years.In a sense the ‘chickens have now come home to roost’ as manifested in the leadership controversy, which has already found its way to the High Court of Namibia.So that remains a matter that the NUNW has to deal with and resolve, hopefully once and for all.But even if this is the issue at the top of the agenda, there remain crucial topics that call for urgent union scrutiny and input.Herbert Jauch of the Labour Research and Research Institute (LaRRI) has correctly pointed out that a fragmented labour movement does not serve the interests of the workers.We could add that it does not serve the interests of the country either.It may be too much to hope for, under the circumstances, that the NUNW will address in any great depth issues such as labour and the economy, focusing on both the rights and the responsibilities of workers, but hopefully there will be room for this and other topics on the agenda.Jauch added that the NUNW needed also to concern itself with direct labour matters such as the Ramatex issue, and perhaps even more crucially at this juncture, the question of Black Empowerment vis-à-vis the black workers of this country.Also of importance is the NUNW’s own business interests and how these have (or have not) advanced the interests of workers themselves.Said Manfred Jatamunua of the rival Public Service Union of Namibia (PSUN), “the NUNW has been in businesses (Ongopolo among others) for a long time but there is no benefit that has gone to workers”.For economic growth to take effect in Namibia, said Mihe Gaomab II of the Namibia Economic Society, unions had to focus on the tripartite alliance between unions, private sector and Government.Since the theme of the discussions is ‘Decent Jobs Now and Beyond 2030′, the NUNW discussions this weekend need to be forward-looking.Monday is May 1, International Workers’ Day, and commemoration of this event has been dismal in Namibia for the past years.It would appear to be a sign that workers themselves are not openly rallying behind their unions, which are increasingly being seen as losing touch with their constituencies.The NUNW can try and put this perception to rights if they approach their discussions, as well as the most controversial subject of all, their leadership crisis, in a mature and democratic way, and ensure that the Congress does not simply disintegrate into chaos and more political in-fighting.It is almost certain that President Hifikepunye Pohamba, when he opens the weekend proceedings, will touch on these and other topics and encourage a working together for the sake of unity of the labour movement in general, and in particular, the future health and prosperity of our economy and those who are part of it.