Ramatex fallout goes on

MEDICAL tests on about 3 000 former Ramatex workers who stuck with the company until it folded this year confirm at least 46 cases in which working conditions at the textile factory resulted in significant health problems.

The National Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Nafau) started informing the former Ramatex workers this week that they need to consult doctors for a variety of ailments they are said to suffer from as a result of their time with the Malaysian factory. While individual results remain confidential, workers and union and medical sources involved said yesterday that the most common problems were eye, ear and lung infections.A number of other workers were also found to suffer from various medical conditions, but Dr Pieter Pretorius, who played a key role in the examinations, said yesterday that many of these conditions could not be exclusively linked to the workers’ role at Ramatex.For example, a number of former textile workers were found to have tuberculosis.The medical tests were ordered by Government when the factory closed in March, and were to be done at the company’s cost.It is understood that copies of the report written by the medical team are in possession of the Ramatex management, the Ministry of Health and the union.Nafau General Secretary Kiros Sackarias was unavailable for comment yesterday.Sources at the union said many of the affected workers had returned to their home regions and it was proving difficult to inform them of their test results or request them to return to Windhoek for further examination.Pretorius said Ramatex never examined its workers before, during or after their service.This, he said, meant that it was up to the medical team to try and establish whether injuries were caused on the job or not.In related news, Old Mutual on Tuesday started holding a series of meetings with former Ramatex workers at the union premises in Windhoek to confirm the size of their pension payouts and to answer questions about these.The last of these meetings is scheduled for Monday.Depending on the swiftness of these meetings, Old Mutual’s Erica Hipondoka said yesterday, payouts should start by the end of this month.While individual results remain confidential, workers and union and medical sources involved said yesterday that the most common problems were eye, ear and lung infections.A number of other workers were also found to suffer from various medical conditions, but Dr Pieter Pretorius, who played a key role in the examinations, said yesterday that many of these conditions could not be exclusively linked to the workers’ role at Ramatex.For example, a number of former textile workers were found to have tuberculosis.The medical tests were ordered by Government when the factory closed in March, and were to be done at the company’s cost. It is understood that copies of the report written by the medical team are in possession of the Ramatex management, the Ministry of Health and the union.Nafau General Secretary Kiros Sackarias was unavailable for comment yesterday.Sources at the union said many of the affected workers had returned to their home regions and it was proving difficult to inform them of their test results or request them to return to Windhoek for further examination.Pretorius said Ramatex never examined its workers before, during or after their service.This, he said, meant that it was up to the medical team to try and establish whether injuries were caused on the job or not.In related news, Old Mutual on Tuesday started holding a series of meetings with former Ramatex workers at the union premises in Windhoek to confirm the size of their pension payouts and to answer questions about these.The last of these meetings is scheduled for Monday.Depending on the swiftness of these meetings, Old Mutual’s Erica Hipondoka said yesterday, payouts should start by the end of this month.