PETROL attendants have turned to the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna) to raise their concerns with the Ministry of Labour.
Between 30 and 40 petrol attendants gathered at the Tucna headquarters in Khomasdal on Wednesday to hold a peaceful demonstration and hand over a petition setting out their grievances to Tucna.
The petition was handed over by Namibia Fuel and Allied Workers Union (Nafawu) president Vaino Kapenda, and was received by Lucy Mucheka, the Tucna office administrator, on behalf of the union federation’s secretary general, Mahongora Kavihuha.According to the petition the workers, who are members of Nafawu, are calling for the introduction of a minimum wage in their sector. Nafawu general secretary David Frans has said that the fuel industry makes a profit around the clock, yet service station attendants are the worst-paid employees in the country.The petrol attendants also demand employee benefits such as a pension scheme, housing or rental allowance and medical aid.According to the petition, petrol station attendants are paid ‘peanuts’ yet they are expected to pay for their transport to and from work. According to the petition they are paid between N$600 and N$1 000 per month.The workers asked how they are supposed to provide their families with accommodation and food if they are paid such low salaries.The petition further complains that service station attendants are not paid night allowances and are also not paid overtime and often work up to 24-hour shifts. The attendants claim that their employers victimise Nafawu members in an attempt to prevent other employees from joining the union, which they regard as a clear violation of the Labour Act.The service station attendants present at the demonstration were wearing Engen, Shell, Puma, Caltex and Total uniforms.In their petition, the attendants said they work in dangerous conditions without any health and safety mechanisms to protect them, saying that they are constantly exposed to dangerous gases and fumes.Frans said Nafawu hopes that Tucna would bring the grievances of the service station attendants to the attention of the Ministry of Labour in order to create a platform where these issues could be discussed.
