NUNW wants Agribank chief’s blood

THE National Union of Namibian Workers say it will approach the courts to add Agribank Chief Executive Officer Leonard Iipumbu’s name to the list of staff made redundant at the institution.

NUNW Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda told the media yesterday that they were fully behind the decision by the Namibia Financial Institutions Union (Nafinu) to take Agribank to court over the restructuring process, which affected all but one job. Only CEO Iipumbu kept his job when the restructuring process was announced.The restructuring will make around 30 jobs redundant.Kaaronda said they believed Iipumbu was not suitably qualified and “we would therefore approach the courts” to declare that Iipumbu’s name be added to those earmarked for retrenchment.Last week Nafinu said it was taking legal action because of the bank’s refusal to withdraw its decision to make the jobs redundant.Agribank gave 30-day notices to all employees, asking them to choose either early retirement, voluntary or involuntary retrenchment if they do not meet the requirements of the new positions.The retrenchment packages offered two weeks’ salary a year for all employees who had worked for the bank less than 20 years, while those who worked for more than 20 years will get one week’s pay for every completed year.Hundred per cent medical aid fund contributions will be paid for all retrenched employees for six months and employees aged 50 years and older will be given the option to buy out their medical aid up to the age of 55 in order for normal post-retirement benefits to kick in.Study loans granted to retrenched employees will be written off and the bank offered counselling to retrenched staff.Nafinu claimed they were not consulted by Agribank and the restructuring was not transparent.Labour Commissioner Bro-Mathew Shinguadja subsequently urged Agribank to “revisit” its decision.NUNW’s Kaaronda said politicians were silent on Agribank problems because, as farm owners, they owe the bank money.”They have opted to desert the workers and thus the workers are left to languish and perish or come to their own rescue,” Kaaronda claimed.The NUNW said the politicians’ silence was disturbing.”The workers of our country are left with very little choice but to conclude that this silence could have something to do with the fact that most, if not all, our political leaders have farms of their own for which farms they most probably owe the Agribank handsome amounts of money, and therefore the best thing to do is to remain mute in the face of this challenge,” Kaaronda said.Only CEO Iipumbu kept his job when the restructuring process was announced.The restructuring will make around 30 jobs redundant.Kaaronda said they believed Iipumbu was not suitably qualified and “we would therefore approach the courts” to declare that Iipumbu’s name be added to those earmarked for retrenchment.Last week Nafinu said it was taking legal action because of the bank’s refusal to withdraw its decision to make the jobs redundant.Agribank gave 30-day notices to all employees, asking them to choose either early retirement, voluntary or involuntary retrenchment if they do not meet the requirements of the new positions.The retrenchment packages offered two weeks’ salary a year for all employees who had worked for the bank less than 20 years, while those who worked for more than 20 years will get one week’s pay for every completed year.Hundred per cent medical aid fund contributions will be paid for all retrenched employees for six months and employees aged 50 years and older will be given the option to buy out their medical aid up to the age of 55 in order for normal post-retirement benefits to kick in.Study loans granted to retrenched employees will be written off and the bank offered counselling to retrenched staff.Nafinu claimed they were not consulted by Agribank and the restructuring was not transparent.Labour Commissioner Bro-Mathew Shinguadja subsequently urged Agribank to “revisit” its decision.NUNW’s Kaaronda said politicians were silent on Agribank problems because, as farm owners, they owe the bank money.”They have opted to desert the workers and thus the workers are left to languish and perish or come to their own rescue,” Kaaronda claimed.The NUNW said the politicians’ silence was disturbing.”The workers of our country are left with very little choice but to conclude that this silence could have something to do with the fact that most, if not all, our political leaders have farms of their own for which farms they most probably owe the Agribank handsome amounts of money, and therefore the best thing to do is to remain mute in the face of this challenge,” Kaaronda said.