New project aims to give hope, dignity to workers

A PROJECT has been launched in Windhoek to help the hundreds of men who gather on street corners in the hope of landing casual work.

The Men-on-the-Side-of-the-Road (MSR) project will act as a link between employers and members, making recommendations to employers based on an assessment of the members’ skills. It will also co-ordinate training activities for its members, after which they will be linked to employers offering jobs relevant to the training.MSR will provide workers to contractors, events managers, SMEs and private homeowners.Some of the skills on offer are gardening, landscaping, tiling, bricklaying, painting and general work.According to the most recent Namibia Labour Force Survey, published in 2004, the unemployment rate in Namibia is 36,7 per cent.This is according to the broad definition of unemployment – a person who is without work and is available for work, whether or not actively seeking a job.The unemployment figure is much higher among women and the youth.To compound the problem, more than 56 per cent of the unemployed nationwide have been without work for more than two years.Out of the reported 385 329 employed people in the country, more than 30 per cent are considered to be underemployed and are available and looking for additional work.The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has undertaken several new programmes, or expanded existing ones, to boost job creation.The new Labour Act of 2007 will introduce a new national system of dispute prevention and dispute resolution through conciliation and arbitration.This will promote an economic environment that is conducive to investment and productivity.The Ministry is also busy with registration and referral services for jobseekers throughout Namibia in an integrated database and provides vocational counselling and testing.The Employment Service Bill currently being drafted will require all Namibian employers seeking to hire employees to list their vacancies with the Ministry’s referral system.In addition to referring jobseekers for potential employment, the Ministry will share information and co-ordinate its activities with relevant educational and training institutions to enhance the employability of present and future jobseekers and to meet the ever-changing needs of the labour market.”Government alone can however not fight unemployment and thus an initiative like Men-on-the-Side-of-the-Road is very welcome,” said Alpheus !Naruseb, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare.DIGNITY Danie de Wet, project manager of MSR, said the project will not only give dignity to the unemployed men by providing them with training and temporary and hopefully permanent employment, but will also benefit the employer.MSR will bring credibility to the recruitment process of low-skilled labour, will save the contractor time and effort in the recruitment of labour and will bring continuity to the casual labour market by being a consistent source of suitably skilled people.MSR is a non-profit organisation and does not charge recruitment fees, instead relying on sponsorships and donations from companies.MSR recommends an hourly pay rate for its members to reduce the risk of exploitation.The employer pays the worker directly for services rendered.So far, MSR has about 400 registered members and companies and individuals are requested to get involved with the project.In future MSR plans to collect suitable workers and drop them off at the required worksite before 09h00.Currently this is not possible, as MSR does not have suitable transport.”MSR has currently 400 registered unemployed workers and by the middle of next year we expect to have more than 1 000 registered, but the success will be measured not in how many people we can register but in how many people we can train and how many can be placed in permanent employment,” said De Wet.* People wanting to register or contact MSR can do so at (061) 30 5892 or 081 122 1425.It will also co-ordinate training activities for its members, after which they will be linked to employers offering jobs relevant to the training.MSR will provide workers to contractors, events managers, SMEs and private homeowners.Some of the skills on offer are gardening, landscaping, tiling, bricklaying, painting and general work.According to the most recent Namibia Labour Force Survey, published in 2004, the unemployment rate in Namibia is 36,7 per cent.This is according to the broad definition of unemployment – a person who is without work and is available for work, whether or not actively seeking a job.The unemployment figure is much higher among women and the youth.To compound the problem, more than 56 per cent of the unemployed nationwide have been without work for more than two years.Out of the reported 385 329 employed people in the country, more than 30 per cent are considered to be underemployed and are available and looking for additional work.The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has undertaken several new programmes, or expanded existing ones, to boost job creation.The new Labour Act of 2007 will introduce a new national system of dispute prevention and dispute resolution through conciliation and arbitration.This will promote an economic environment that is conducive to investment and productivity.The Ministry is also busy with registration and referral services for jobseekers throughout Namibia in an integrated database and provides vocational counselling and testing.The Employment Service Bill currently being drafted will require all Namibian employers seeking to hire employees to list their vacancies with the Ministry’s referral system.In addition to referring jobseekers for potential employment, the Ministry will share information and co-ordinate its activities with relevant educational and training institutions to enhance the employability of present and future jobseekers and to meet the ever-changing needs of the labour market.”Government alone can however not fight unemployment and thus an initiative like Men-on-the-Side-of-the-Road is very welcome,” said Alpheus !Naruseb, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare.DIGNITY Danie de Wet, project manager of MSR, said the project will not only give dignity to the unemployed men by providing them with training and temporary and hopefully permanent employment, but will also benefit the employer.MSR will bring credibility to the recruitment process of low-skilled labour, will save the contractor time and effort in the recruitment of labour and will bring continuity to the casual labour market by being a consistent source of suitably skilled people.MSR is a non-profit organisation and does not charge recruitment fees, instead relying on sponsorships and donations from companies.MSR recommends an hourly pay rate for its members to reduce the risk of exploitation.The employer pays the worker directly for services rendered.So far, MSR has about 400 registered members and companies and individuals are requested to get involved with the project.In future MSR plans to collect suitable workers and drop them off at the required worksite before 09h00.Currently this is not possible, as MSR does not have suitable transport.”MSR has currently 400 registered unemployed workers and by the middle of next year we expect to have more than 1 000 registered, but the success will be measured not in how many people we can register but in how many people we can train and how many can be placed in permanent employment,” said De Wet.* People wanting to register or contact MSR can do so at (061) 30 5892 or 081 122 1425.