Pohamba puts record straight

BOTH employers and employees have been hauled over the coals by President Hifikepunye Pohamba during Workers’ Day celebration at Rundu.

The President made it clear that the destiny of Namibia is in the hands of the employers and workers and therefore all Namibians should do all that they can so that the country can achieve its destiny.’I want to, once again, use this platform to call upon Namibian employers to treat our workers with dignity and to respect their constitutional rights at all times. Our laws on the protection of workers are clear and they must be respected and complied with by all employers, big or small. Any employer, who violates the rights of workers for whatever reason, must be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law.’ However, he also warned the workers to avoid engaging in illegal strike actions, emphasising that it is unproductive and creates tensions and mistrust in the labour environment. ‘It has always been the position of our Government that labour disputes should be solved speedily and amicably in order to minimise disruption to economic activities. Similarly, our Government discourages unnecessary labour disputes that can have negative consequences for the workers and their families, industries and indeed the national economy, at large.’ According to the Head of State workers have the right have a right to demand better working conditions and to fight for their rights when such rights are violated, but they also have a duty to exercise these rights in a responsible manner. In this regard he said it is imperative that sound labour relations should be maintained, adding that this is the only way for Namibia to make progress in terms of social and economic development. ‘I encourage all parties to the tripartite alliance to work closely together in order to promote healthy labour relations.’ Pohamba in particularly expressed concern about the situation faced by security guards, domestic and farm workers in the country. These workers endure some of the harshest working conditions in the country. ‘Their remuneration is very low and they hardly enjoy any employment benefits. They work long hours and there have been reports that some are abused verbally and even physically. Our Government is committed to improve the plight of these workers,’ he said.