Nafau not amused by latest dethroning

THE Namibian Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Nafau) is furious at Shoprite for signing a recognition agreement with the Namibia Wholesale and Retail Workers’ Union (NWRWU) last week.

Nafau General Secretary Kiros Sackarias called a press conference in Windhoek on Friday, lambasting the South African retailer and the NWRWU for allegedly “robbing” Nafau of its position as sole bargaining agent. The NWRWU signed a recognition agreement with Shoprite on Thursday after the company notified Nafau in April already that it no longer enjoyed the support of the majority of workers there.Labour law in Namibia dictates that in order to be accepted as sole bargaining agent, a union must enjoy the support of 50 per cent plus one of a company’s workers.Nafau contends that this was the case here.”On the first of April 2008, Shoprite Namibia out of the blue wrote a letter to Nafau claiming their intention to terminate the recognition agreement between the parties.The above was done without proof that Nafau does not enjoy the 50 per cent plus one majority at Shoprite,” Sackarias claimed.Trying not to name the rival union, which he regarded as “not worth mentioning”, Sackarias claimed that the NWRWU had been using back-door representatives and had been “promising manners (sic) to fall from heaven should workers choose to get rid of Nafau”.Contacted for comment, Shoprite directed The Namibian to its human resources division in South Africa.NWRWU Acting Secretary General Josua Mabuka, when contacted, said Nafau simply had to get over the fact that Shoprite workers were tired of inefficient representation.”Whatever Nafau said, you know that when your wife divorces you and you don’t expect it, you’ll have a problem with it,” Mabuka said.According to him, Nafau only represented 28 per cent of Shoprite workers, and reminded the rival union that it had been informed of this months ago.The NWRWU signed a recognition agreement with Shoprite on Thursday after the company notified Nafau in April already that it no longer enjoyed the support of the majority of workers there.Labour law in Namibia dictates that in order to be accepted as sole bargaining agent, a union must enjoy the support of 50 per cent plus one of a company’s workers.Nafau contends that this was the case here.”On the first of April 2008, Shoprite Namibia out of the blue wrote a letter to Nafau claiming their intention to terminate the recognition agreement between the parties.The above was done without proof that Nafau does not enjoy the 50 per cent plus one majority at Shoprite,” Sackarias claimed.Trying not to name the rival union, which he regarded as “not worth mentioning”, Sackarias claimed that the NWRWU had been using back-door representatives and had been “promising manners (sic) to fall from heaven should workers choose to get rid of Nafau”.Contacted for comment, Shoprite directed The Namibian to its human resources division in South Africa.NWRWU Acting Secretary General Josua Mabuka, when contacted, said Nafau simply had to get over the fact that Shoprite workers were tired of inefficient representation.”Whatever Nafau said, you know that when your wife divorces you and you don’t expect it, you’ll have a problem with it,” Mabuka said.According to him, Nafau only represented 28 per cent of Shoprite workers, and reminded the rival union that it had been informed of this months ago.