Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Nored) workers will go on strike on Friday, following a year of failed wage negotiations.
The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (Mun), representing Nored workers, has accused Nored management of intimidation tactics to prevent workers from striking.
“The union rejects, with the contempt it deserves, Nored’s continued attempts to suppress workers through intimidation, procedural manipulation, and opportunistic litigation,” general secretary George Ampweya said in a statement on Wednesday.
The mineworkers union says workers are seeking wage adjustments as well as improved working conditions.
The union alleges that workers have not received pay increases in the past six years.
After failed negotiations, the union referred the dispute to the labour commissioner, who issued a certificate of unresolved dispute, which enabled preparations for a strike.
Workers voted in favour of a strike in a secret ballot, and the union said all proper strike procedures were followed.
Nored management, however, claims strike proceedings were unlawful and brought the issue to court.
“While the Court granted the union time to prepare a comprehensive legal response, the Office of the Labour Commissioner subsequently confirmed that the strike process and rules were lawfully initiated —thereby affirming the protected status of the intended industrial action,” Ampweya said.
The union also intends to pursue separate institutional and legal action against Nored relating to “serious governance deficiencies,” according to the statement.
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