The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) is satisfied with the agreement it has struck with Trigon Metals Namibia on the retrenchment of 533 employees at Kombat Mine.
The workers were retrenched on 31 January.
MUN general secretary Phillipus Ampweya yesterday said although the document was not perfect, it was an improvement on what the employer was prepared to initially give the workers.
He said the company has started paying the workers based on the terms of the agreement, although there has been dissatisfaction about figures on occasion.
“The terms of the agreement will be submitted to the High Court to be made a court order to prevent either party reneging on the agreement,” he said.
Ampweya said the agreement successfully resolves the case the union lodged with the Office of the Labour Commissioner and cuts down on the arbitration time the ministry would have taken, because the labour commissioner is experiencing a big backlog in cases.
The matter was set for a hearing yesterday.
“At least the workers have not been sent to the streets empty-handed,” he said.
BACKGROUND
The dispute was sparked by the company’s unilateral terms for retrenching 533 employees from Kombat Mine on 31 January.
The union lodged a case with the Office of the Labour Commissioner after the company reneged on an agreement to negotiate the terms of the retrenchment.
The mine blamed its closure on underground flooding caused by a breakdown of dewatering pumps.
Trigon chief executive Jed Richardson earlier this month said the mine would be closed for up to nine months, with only 28 employees retained to do specialist work.
The union has also sought the intervention of minister of labour, industrial relations and employment creation Utoni Nujoma, who has directed the parties to meet and find a solution.
Canadian company Trigon Metals owns Kombat Mine, with its Namibian partner businessman Knowledge Katti.
Trigon’s vice president for operations at Kombat Stephanus Muller this week said: “Trigon Metals Namibia would like to express its sincere gratitude to all employees for their patience and cooperation during this challenging time.
“We also thank MUN and its management for their collaboration and efficiency in resolving this matter in a fair and timely manner, in the best interest of all parties.”
MUN in a statement this week said: “This resolution highlights the crucial role of collective bargaining in fostering a fair and equitable workplace environment.”
The union said the agreement outlines key terms, with an emphasis on supporting employees through equitable compensation.
Every retrenched employee will receive one month of notice pay, along with severance pay equivalent to one week’s salary for each year of service.
“Employees will further be paid for any confirmed accrued leave days up to 31 January, and any unpaid overtime will be paid. All employees will undergo exit medical examinations with all expenses to be fully covered by the employer,” the union said.
“We encourage workers to bring any outstanding issues to the union’s attention so we can further engage the employer,” Ampweya said, adding that the union was happy with Trigon’s willingness to negotiate.
– email: matthew@namibian.com.na
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