NUNW gets involved in in ongoing LLD dispute

WITH months of negotiations between Lev Leviev Diamonds (LLD) Namibia and the Mineworkers’ Union of Namibia (MUN) only leading to the dismissal of more than 220 workers from the diamond cutting and polishing factory early this month, the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) has decided to step in and get involved.

Today sees the start of appeal hearings for about 133 of the fired workers who hope to regain their positions at the company. A total of 88 workers have indicated that they do not wish to return to LLD, according to information received from the company.Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, NUNW Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda confirmed that the umbrella union approached the company last week about starting afresh with talks on the workers’ future.He acknowledged that the process followed by the MUN up until now had been counterproductive and that the situation called for a fresh approach.”Obviously, the relationship between the General Secretary of the MUN (Joseph Hengari) and the MD of LLD (Kombadayedu Kapwanga), that relationship is broken beyond repair.”Whoever addressed the workers on the strike, whoever suggested they go ahead with that illegal strike was doing the workers a disfavour.Somewhere, someone needs to engage the company in a much more meaningful way,” Kaaronda said.He added that LLD had replied to the NUNW’s request, and although the reply was predominantly positive, the company wanted a number of issues addressed.Among these was whether the mother body would be willing to speak out publicly against the MUN in declaring that the strike was illegal.”As far as we’re concerned there is no question that the strike was illegal,” Kaaronda replied to the same question when it was posed by The Namibian.He said the MUN leadership was happy with the NUNW getting involved.Taking The Namibian through his company’s other concerns, LLD MD Kapwanga said they also requested that the NUNW clarify its mandate to ensure that whatever is decided between the two bodies will be binding.”We don’t want a situation where we’re told later ‘you signed a recognition agreement with the MUN but negotiated with another body’.We’ve also realised that in the previous discussions, the MUN weren’t talking to the workers about what was being discussed between us.The branch executives always claimed they didn’t know anything that was decided on,” Kapwanga said.The company also asked the union to explain the continued necessity of the two tents set up in front of Hartliefs near LLD’s premises, now that the workers are no longer employed by it.Also speaking to The Namibian yesterday was MUN President Andries Eiseb, who dismissed criticism of his union’s efforts.”I don’t think there was ever a situation where the workers were misled.We did as much as we could possibly do.If we didn’t have the workers’ interests at heart, we could have quit a long time ago,” Eiseb said.He added that the MUN and the NUNW’s objectives were one, and that the entry of the umbrella union into the negotiations did not mean they were taking over.Contacted for comment, MUN GS Hengari declined to comment.”Currently there is no comment on that one.We will give you the information when we are done,” he said before hanging up the phone.A total of 88 workers have indicated that they do not wish to return to LLD, according to information received from the company.Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, NUNW Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda confirmed that the umbrella union approached the company last week about starting afresh with talks on the workers’ future.He acknowledged that the process followed by the MUN up until now had been counterproductive and that the situation called for a fresh approach.”Obviously, the relationship between the General Secretary of the MUN (Joseph Hengari) and the MD of LLD (Kombadayedu Kapwanga), that relationship is broken beyond repair. “Whoever addressed the workers on the strike, whoever suggested they go ahead with that illegal strike was doing the workers a disfavour.Somewhere, someone needs to engage the company in a much more meaningful way,” Kaaronda said.He added that LLD had replied to the NUNW’s request, and although the reply was predominantly positive, the company wanted a number of issues addressed.Among these was whether the mother body would be willing to speak out publicly against the MUN in declaring that the strike was illegal.”As far as we’re concerned there is no question that the strike was illegal,” Kaaronda replied to the same question when it was posed by The Namibian.He said the MUN leadership was happy with the NUNW getting involved.Taking The Namibian through his company’s other concerns, LLD MD Kapwanga said they also requested that the NUNW clarify its mandate to ensure that whatever is decided between the two bodies will be binding.”We don’t want a situation where we’re told later ‘you signed a recognition agreement with the MUN but negotiated with another body’.We’ve also realised that in the previous discussions, the MUN weren’t talking to the workers about what was being discussed between us.The branch executives always claimed they didn’t know anything that was decided on,” Kapwanga said.The company also asked the union to explain the continued necessity of the two tents set up in front of Hartliefs near LLD’s premises, now that the workers are no longer employed by it.Also speaking to The Namibian yesterday was MUN President Andries Eiseb, who dismissed criticism of his union’s efforts.”I don’t think there was ever a situation where the workers were misled.We did as much as we could possibly do.If we didn’t have the workers’ interests at heart, we could have quit a long time ago,” Eiseb said.He added that the MUN and the NUNW’s objectives were one, and that the entry of the umbrella union into the negotiations did not mean they were taking over.Contacted for comment, MUN GS Hengari declined to comment.”Currently there is no comment on that one.We will give you the information when we are done,” he said before hanging up the phone.