New Labour Bill set to be tabled today

LABOUR and Social Welfare Minister Alfeus Naruseb is expected to table the long-awaited Labour Bill in Parliament today.

The tabling was originally expected towards the end of last year. The 1992 Labour Act was revised in 2004 but had several shortcomings and was severely criticised by the private sector.As a result, only some parts of the new law could be implemented.Then the revised 2004 Labour Act required so many changes that a new draft had to be drawn up, which is the one Minister Naruseb is expected to present in the National Assembly today.Public servants at the Labour Ministry were tight-lipped about the Bill and its contents yesterday and would not disclose any details.”There are no advance copies available for anybody, also not for the media,” a ministerial official told The Namibian.”No details can be disclosed beforehand.”The new bill is expected to do away with the existing labour court system, which will be replaced with arbitration courts.Changes to maternity benefits for female employees are also expected.Under the 1992 Labour Act, women going on maternity leave could only claim some benefits from the Social Security Commission (SSC).In terms of the 2004 Labour Act, employers have to pay full remuneration to women going on maternity leave.Between March and December 2006, the commission paid out maternity benefits amounting to N$16 million, which account for around 40 per cent of benefit payments made by the Commission.The 2007 Labour Bill seeks to address this issue differently.Last week, Cabinet announced that the SSC is to increase maternity benefits from N$3 000 per month to N$6 000.”This is a very good move, as it was established that about 80 per cent of all employed women in Namibia fall into that salary scale,” said Tim Parkhouse, Secretary General of the Namibia Employers’ Federation (NEF).The 1992 Labour Act was revised in 2004 but had several shortcomings and was severely criticised by the private sector.As a result, only some parts of the new law could be implemented.Then the revised 2004 Labour Act required so many changes that a new draft had to be drawn up, which is the one Minister Naruseb is expected to present in the National Assembly today.Public servants at the Labour Ministry were tight-lipped about the Bill and its contents yesterday and would not disclose any details.”There are no advance copies available for anybody, also not for the media,” a ministerial official told The Namibian.”No details can be disclosed beforehand.”The new bill is expected to do away with the existing labour court system, which will be replaced with arbitration courts.Changes to maternity benefits for female employees are also expected.Under the 1992 Labour Act, women going on maternity leave could only claim some benefits from the Social Security Commission (SSC).In terms of the 2004 Labour Act, employers have to pay full remuneration to women going on maternity leave.Between March and December 2006, the commission paid out maternity benefits amounting to N$16 million, which account for around 40 per cent of benefit payments made by the Commission.The 2007 Labour Bill seeks to address this issue differently.Last week, Cabinet announced that the SSC is to increase maternity benefits from N$3 000 per month to N$6 000.”This is a very good move, as it was established that about 80 per cent of all employed women in Namibia fall into that salary scale,” said Tim Parkhouse, Secretary General of the Namibia Employers’ Federation (NEF).