Retrenched fishermen up in arms over two-year delay in payments

MORE than 30 sea-going employees of two vessels at Walvis Bay have been struggling for 18 months to get money owed to them after being retrenched from Namibian Fishing Industries (Namfish) in October 2002.

The group handed over a petition just before Easter last week to Nexus Fishing Company, the company they were transferred to after the termination of their contracts at Namfish. According to Percy Charlies of PFC Labour Consultants, who wrote the petition on behalf of the workers, the directors of Nexus Fishing should be held responsible for the non-payment of workers as they represent the three companies Nexus were made up of.The petition states that Nexus consists of Masilahi Fishing, Black Rock Fishing and Cato Fishing, a subsidiary of Namfish.”We want Eric Knouwds, the Chairperson of Nexus, to explain the delay in payment,” Daniel Imbili of the union representing the workers, the Namibian Fishing Industries and Fishermen Workers Union, told the media last week.He pointed to a thick file of correspondence over the long-outstanding matter saying the case had been referred to the Labour Commissioner as well.In December last year, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Abraham Iyambo, wrote to the directors of Nexus after he had met with the union to appeal to them to convene a meeting and to ” … iron out all grey areas”.A meeting was held on December 5 and resolutions made, but Imbili of the union said the company never carried them out.”It was only to fool the Minister.We must stand up against employers who disrespect the laws of the country,” said Charlies.He called on Government to withdraw the monk quota of Nexus Fishing with immediate effect.He charged that Nexus had closed down in November last year and no longer had offices at Walvis Bay.Nexus employees received letters on March 11 informing them of the termination of their contracts ” … brought about by the insolvency of the company”.Charlies asked how a company could still retain a quota if it no longer had offices and employees.Merlus Fishing is apparently managing the Nexus quota presently.The office of Knouwds in Windhoek referred The Namibian to Herman Kinghorn, a director of Nexus.Kinghorn said the matter was a legal dispute between two companies.”I do not agree to bringing it in the press.”He added that Nexus had given the union a document explaining the company’s position, which basically stated that Nexus would not accept the liabilities of another company.Kinghorn was going to meet with the union yesterday afternoon.According to Percy Charlies of PFC Labour Consultants, who wrote the petition on behalf of the workers, the directors of Nexus Fishing should be held responsible for the non-payment of workers as they represent the three companies Nexus were made up of.The petition states that Nexus consists of Masilahi Fishing, Black Rock Fishing and Cato Fishing, a subsidiary of Namfish.”We want Eric Knouwds, the Chairperson of Nexus, to explain the delay in payment,” Daniel Imbili of the union representing the workers, the Namibian Fishing Industries and Fishermen Workers Union, told the media last week.He pointed to a thick file of correspondence over the long-outstanding matter saying the case had been referred to the Labour Commissioner as well.In December last year, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Abraham Iyambo, wrote to the directors of Nexus after he had met with the union to appeal to them to convene a meeting and to ” … iron out all grey areas”.A meeting was held on December 5 and resolutions made, but Imbili of the union said the company never carried them out.”It was only to fool the Minister.We must stand up against employers who disrespect the laws of the country,” said Charlies.He called on Government to withdraw the monk quota of Nexus Fishing with immediate effect.He charged that Nexus had closed down in November last year and no longer had offices at Walvis Bay.Nexus employees received letters on March 11 informing them of the termination of their contracts ” … brought about by the insolvency of the company”.Charlies asked how a company could still retain a quota if it no longer had offices and employees.Merlus Fishing is apparently managing the Nexus quota presently.The office of Knouwds in Windhoek referred The Namibian to Herman Kinghorn, a director of Nexus.Kinghorn said the matter was a legal dispute between two companies.”I do not agree to bringing it in the press.”He added that Nexus had given the union a document explaining the company’s position, which basically stated that Nexus would not accept the liabilities of another company.Kinghorn was going to meet with the union yesterday afternoon.