NovaNam, union in stand-off over employee’s murder

SOME 2 600 workers from the NovaNam fishing factory at Luderitz have gone on a wildcat strike, blaming the company for the killing of a supervisor on the production floor last week.

The factory workers downed tools on Tuesday morning demanding that a middle manager be suspended for allegedly using the supervisor killed last week as a shield between the workers and management. The management and representatives of the Namibia Seamen and Allied Workers’ Union (Nasawu) were locked in meetings most of yesterday to resolve the deadlock.The Namibian understands that NovaNam was on the brink of declaring the strike an illegal industrial action, a decision that may allow them to turn the tables on the workers by locking them out.Nasawu president Ben Hango was unable to comment yesterday afternoon as he was in meetings, which, he said, could last till evening.Company representatives could also not be reached for comment.Nafau, the Namibia Food and Allied Workers’ Union, this week charged that NovaNam was among the fishing companies that have “poor labour relations”.Nafau president David Namalenga said the stabbing of Geralda Eugenia Apollus by another employee should be laid at the door of managers who avoided solving grievances between workers.Nafau has no recognition agreement with NovaNam.Namalenga said management had what he termed a policy of using supervisors as a buffer between themselves and dissatisfied workers, then letting problems fester.Andries David Negongo (30) who allegedly killed Apollus by stabbing her with a factory knife on the job appeared in court this week.NovaNam is the biggest employer at Luderitz and is among the biggest employers in the fishing industry with a workforce of 2 600.The management and representatives of the Namibia Seamen and Allied Workers’ Union (Nasawu) were locked in meetings most of yesterday to resolve the deadlock.The Namibian understands that NovaNam was on the brink of declaring the strike an illegal industrial action, a decision that may allow them to turn the tables on the workers by locking them out.Nasawu president Ben Hango was unable to comment yesterday afternoon as he was in meetings, which, he said, could last till evening.Company representatives could also not be reached for comment.Nafau, the Namibia Food and Allied Workers’ Union, this week charged that NovaNam was among the fishing companies that have “poor labour relations”.Nafau president David Namalenga said the stabbing of Geralda Eugenia Apollus by another employee should be laid at the door of managers who avoided solving grievances between workers.Nafau has no recognition agreement with NovaNam.Namalenga said management had what he termed a policy of using supervisors as a buffer between themselves and dissatisfied workers, then letting problems fester.Andries David Negongo (30) who allegedly killed Apollus by stabbing her with a factory knife on the job appeared in court this week.NovaNam is the biggest employer at Luderitz and is among the biggest employers in the fishing industry with a workforce of 2 600.