NHE back to the drawing board

NEGOTIATIONS between the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) and a group of former employees laid off last year continue this week, despite both parties’ wish to have settled the matter on Friday.

During a meeting with NHE CEO Vincent Hailulu on Friday night, the group rejected an offer made by the board of directors, which followed an agreement reached between the NHE’s negotiating team and the Namibia Financial Institutions Union (Nafinu) a week earlier. At the earlier meeting, it was agreed that the company would completely settle the home loans of all the retrenched workers, while they would receive two and a half weeks’ severance pay for every completed year of service.When the group approached Hailulu on Thursday, wanting to know whether or not the board had accepted this agreement, they were informed that the matter had been taken up with the Minister of Local and Regional Government and Housing for consultation.After pitching tents in front of the company headquarters in protest against Hailulu’s refusal to divulge the board’s decision, and after waiting there until around 17h00 on Friday, the group was finally informed that the board wanted some changes made to the agreement.Instead of a 100 per cent bond settlement, the board offered a cash sum of N$250 000 to each of the retrenched employees.Their argument, according to Hailulu, was that some members of the group had a lesser outstanding amount on their houses, which would mean they would get less from the company, which could be deemed unfair.The board had also decided to give them one and a half weeks’ severance pay instead of two.After deliberating on the issue behind closed doors, the former workers rejected this offer, sticking to their guns and demanding that the board accept the first agreement.Both parties then agreed to continue negotiating this week.National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda made clear the group’s, as well as the union’s dissatisfaction with the way the NHE handled the last two days of negotiations.”We do not appreciate the way management handled this situation.Notwithstanding your right to see who you want to see, we have the right to be informed as to the board’s decision.We are not third parties in this,” Kaaronda said.”Given the disdain you showed yesterday, our stance is even harder than before,” Kaaronda said.At the earlier meeting, it was agreed that the company would completely settle the home loans of all the retrenched workers, while they would receive two and a half weeks’ severance pay for every completed year of service.When the group approached Hailulu on Thursday, wanting to know whether or not the board had accepted this agreement, they were informed that the matter had been taken up with the Minister of Local and Regional Government and Housing for consultation.After pitching tents in front of the company headquarters in protest against Hailulu’s refusal to divulge the board’s decision, and after waiting there until around 17h00 on Friday, the group was finally informed that the board wanted some changes made to the agreement.Instead of a 100 per cent bond settlement, the board offered a cash sum of N$250 000 to each of the retrenched employees.Their argument, according to Hailulu, was that some members of the group had a lesser outstanding amount on their houses, which would mean they would get less from the company, which could be deemed unfair. The board had also decided to give them one and a half weeks’ severance pay instead of two.After deliberating on the issue behind closed doors, the former workers rejected this offer, sticking to their guns and demanding that the board accept the first agreement.Both parties then agreed to continue negotiating this week.National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda made clear the group’s, as well as the union’s dissatisfaction with the way the NHE handled the last two days of negotiations. “We do not appreciate the way management handled this situation.Notwithstanding your right to see who you want to see, we have the right to be informed as to the board’s decision.We are not third parties in this,” Kaaronda said.”Given the disdain you showed yesterday, our stance is even harder than before,” Kaaronda said.