Ramatex’s exit ‘an embarrassment’

ENVIRONMENTAL group Earthlife Namibia yesterday lashed out at Government and the City of Windhoek over the way they had handled the Ramatex situation.

Earthlife, which had long objected to the negative environmental effects of the Malaysian textile factory, called its overnight closure last week “an embarrassment to the City and … political leaders”.On Thursday, the company’s approximately 3 000 workers arrived at its Otjomuise factory to report for duty – as they had done since its inception in 2001 – only to be left standing in front of a closed gate.The company later that day informed its workers that it had decided to close shop in Namibia and leave them all unemployed.Earthlife’s Bertchen Kohrs yesterday called on Government and the Windhoek Municipality to account for what had happened, saying that Ramatex’s closure could hardly be described as a shock, considering that the authorities had for years ignored warnings from civil society and others.”The writing has been on the wall almost since the start of the process.To us, as well as the general public, further selected and misleading information is not acceptable.We demand the full responsibility now by way of an audit of the environmental damage, a proper cleanup and acceptable compensation to the workers,” Kohrs stated yesterday.She objected to the way workers were treated during the closing process, saying that it was not acceptable in a democratic country.”Both Government and the municipality of Windhoek had ample time to discuss the closure and consequently the rehabilitation arrangements with Ramatex.It is obvious that this opportunity was not used,” she said.”Our impression is that there was no effective pressure on Ramatex from specifically the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the City of Windhoek.Instead, Ramatex continuously enjoyed enormous financial benefits such as subsidised water and electricity tariffs, the provision of costly infrastructure at the ratepayer’s expense and tax-free profits,” she said.Kohrs challenged Government to provide answers on whether Ramatex would be held responsible for environmental damage caused by groundwater contamination and illegal disposal of toxic sludge, something confirmed by the City of Windhoek in 2006.In that year, the municipality promised to monitor the factory’s impact on groundwater on a three-month basis, while it was also to start transferring sludge from wastewater ponds at Ramatex to the Kupferberg dumpsite outside of Windhoek, something which was to be done at the company’s expense.”The entire situation is an embarrassment to the City and the political leaders.It is an open secret that most responsible leaders are as concerned and embarrassed as we are, but are obviously afraid to speak out,” she said.When questioned yesterday about reports that his company was bound by a 12-month notice period agreement with Government, Ramatex General Manager Boon Keon Ong rejected these claims.”Government wanted us to put up a guarantee of 24 months, but we told them how can we be guaranteed of business for the next 24 months? We told them we might consider, but we never signed any agreement,” he said.Ong said his final departure from Namibia would come as soon as negotiations between Ramatex and trade unions over workers’ redundancy packages were sorted out.”We will leave as soon as negotiations are through,” he said.political leaders”.On Thursday, the company’s approximately 3 000 workers arrived at its Otjomuise factory to report for duty – as they had done since its inception in 2001 – only to be left standing in front of a closed gate.The company later that day informed its workers that it had decided to close shop in Namibia and leave them all unemployed.Earthlife’s Bertchen Kohrs yesterday called on Government and the Windhoek Municipality to account for what had happened, saying that Ramatex’s closure could hardly be described as a shock, considering that the authorities had for years ignored warnings from civil society and others.”The writing has been on the wall almost since the start of the process.To us, as well as the general public, further selected and misleading information is not acceptable.We demand the full responsibility now by way of an audit of the environmental damage, a proper cleanup and acceptable compensation to the workers,” Kohrs stated yesterday.She objected to the way workers were treated during the closing process, saying that it was not acceptable in a democratic country.”Both Government and the municipality of Windhoek had ample time to discuss the closure and consequently the rehabilitation arrangements with Ramatex.It is obvious that this opportunity was not used,” she said.”Our impression is that there was no effective pressure on Ramatex from specifically the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the City of Windhoek.Instead, Ramatex continuously enjoyed enormous financial benefits such as subsidised water and electricity tariffs, the provision of costly infrastructure at the ratepayer’s expense and tax-free profits,” she said.Kohrs challenged Government to provide answers on whether Ramatex would be held responsible for environmental damage caused by groundwater contamination and illegal disposal of toxic sludge, something confirmed by the City of Windhoek in 2006.In that year, the municipality promised to monitor the factory’s impact on groundwater on a three-month basis, while it was also to start transferring sludge from wastewater ponds at Ramatex to the Kupferberg dumpsite outside of Windhoek, something which was to be done at the company’s expense.”The entire situation is an embarrassment to the City and the political leaders.It is an open secret that most responsible leaders are as concerned and embarrassed as we are, but are obviously afraid to speak out,” she said.When questioned yesterday about reports that his company was bound by a 12-month notice period agreement with Government, Ramatex General Manager Boon Keon Ong rejected these claims.”Government wanted us to put up a guarantee of 24 months, but we told them how can we be guaranteed of business for the next 24 months? We told them we might consider, but we never signed any agreement,” he said.Ong said his final departure from Namibia would come as soon as negotiations between Ramatex and trade unions over workers’ redundancy packages were sorted out.”We will leave as soon as negotiations are through,” he said.