SSC, Napwu sign wage agreement

THE Social Security Commission (SSC) and the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) yesterday signed a wage increment agreement for the 2004/2005 financial year, at a ceremony held at the SSC head office in Windhoek.

The signing follows the completion of the salary and wage negotiations for the financial year 2003/04. The latest salary increase was categorised as grades seven to eight; middle management, superintendents and lower level specialists, will get eight per cent salary increment; grades nine to 12; supervisors and higher skilled clerical staff, will get 11 per cent salary increase; grades 13 to 16, lower skilled clerical staff, were awarded 13 per cent salary increase; and grade 17, which consists of very low skilled staff will get a 15 per cent salary increment.Transport allowances for grades nine to 17 were increased by 12,5 per cent from N$350 per month up to N$400 per month.Napwu Secretary General Peter Nevonga said negotiations had been done in good spirits, adding that the workers union and management worked as a team.He said the main purpose of the negotiations had been to regulate industrial relations and also set up a framework, to be followed when dealing with labour issues.Nevonga said his organisation aimed at minimising labour confrontations in workplaces as they had a negative impact on business and economy growth.Also speaking at the occasion, SSC Chief Executive Officer Tuli Hiveluah said the negotiations had not been easy but that the task had been a long and rough journey.He said taking into consideration that SSC had performed poorly in the previous financial year, there had been need to exercise caution and restraint so as to avoid creating unrealistic expectations among employees.”At the beginning of the negotiations I said that I wanted to see a win-win breakthrough situation…It was, however my desire to find a balanced compromise with the Napwu, ” said Hiveluah.Hiveluah also said when awarding the salary increments, SSC had, among a number of conditions, taken into account the macro economic situation in the country.The latest salary increase was categorised as grades seven to eight; middle management, superintendents and lower level specialists, will get eight per cent salary increment; grades nine to 12; supervisors and higher skilled clerical staff, will get 11 per cent salary increase; grades 13 to 16, lower skilled clerical staff, were awarded 13 per cent salary increase; and grade 17, which consists of very low skilled staff will get a 15 per cent salary increment.Transport allowances for grades nine to 17 were increased by 12,5 per cent from N$350 per month up to N$400 per month.Napwu Secretary General Peter Nevonga said negotiations had been done in good spirits, adding that the workers union and management worked as a team.He said the main purpose of the negotiations had been to regulate industrial relations and also set up a framework, to be followed when dealing with labour issues.Nevonga said his organisation aimed at minimising labour confrontations in workplaces as they had a negative impact on business and economy growth.Also speaking at the occasion, SSC Chief Executive Officer Tuli Hiveluah said the negotiations had not been easy but that the task had been a long and rough journey.He said taking into consideration that SSC had performed poorly in the previous financial year, there had been need to exercise caution and restraint so as to avoid creating unrealistic expectations among employees. “At the beginning of the negotiations I said that I wanted to see a win-win breakthrough situation…It was, however my desire to find a balanced compromise with the Napwu, ” said Hiveluah.Hiveluah also said when awarding the salary increments, SSC had, among a number of conditions, taken into account the macro economic situation in the country.