Swanu wants companies involved in labour hire closed

South West Africa National Union (Swanu) leader Evalistus Kaaronda says all labour hire companies must be closed down.

Kaaronda made these remarks at the launch of the party manifesto on Saturday at Gobabis.

“All the labour hire companies must be closed down and all the workers must be given permanent jobs with pension, medical aid, and housing benefits. Swanu of Namibia, therefore, rejects labour hire and will fight to make it illegal and unconstitutional,” Kaaronda said.

He said it is impossible to create jobs in Namibia when labour hire is being practiced.

“The workers’ rights to participate in the running of their enterprises must be guaranteed by law, because in Swanu, our ultimate aim is workers’ power,” Kaaronda said.

He said labour hire companies continue to rob workers of their hard earned salaries through its “slave-like” labour hire system.

Kaaronda claimed that many people who work for Shoprite, Woermann Brock, and fishing and mining companies are employed by labour hire companies.

“Their salaries are taken by these labour hire companies and when the workers are injured on duty, nobody takes responsibility because labour hire says that these workers are just contractors and don’t work for them,” Kaaronda said.

He said all foreign companies must be legally required to respect the rights of workers.

“We are tired of the many abuses taking place in Chinese, Indian, German, American, and South African companies. We will fight for good salaries and permanent jobs in Namibia and no more labour hire,” he said.