Time for NUNW ‘to put its house in order’

THIS weekend’s fourth ordinary national congress of the NUNW presents an opportunity for the trade union to settle its ongoing leadership crisis once and for all or risk becoming irrelevant to the workers it is supposed to represent, observers say.

The congress of the Swapo-affiliated National Union of Namibian Workers is also expected to see the election of a new leadership by the end of the weekend. Recently, divisions in the NUNW leadership, said to mirror divisions in the ruling party, have emerged raising the question of whether or not the labour movement should be actively involved in politics.Herbert Jauch, Director of the Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI) believes that the NUNW leadership crisis will take centre stage at the weekend congress.”Obviously the leadership issue will be top on the agenda.Its political implications will be of great importance and whether there will be a unified NUNW at the end of the congress,” Jauch said yesterday, adding that at the end of the day it was important for workers to have a unified labour movement instead of a fragmented one.”It is important that they come out of the congress having sorted out the leadership wrangle because a fragmented labour movement does not serve the interests of the workers,” Jauch said.He also said he expected issues directly affecting the workers to feature high on the agenda – such as large companies like Ramatex and how they should be dealt with, practices such as Labour Hire and how they affect workers and Black Economic Empowerment from the perspective of black workers.The Deputy Secretary General of the rival Public Service Union of Namibia (PSUN), Manfred Jatamunua, felt that very little would come out of the congress that would benefit the workers.”It will be a very politically charged congress, because it has to do with who will be representing the union at the Swapo Congress next year.Delegates will be concentrating on being politically correct,” Jatamunua said.He said the labour issues at Ramatex would certainly come out at the congress, but said the union leadership would only bring the matter up to give credit to its ambition to take over the textile factory.”I see a situation where workers will be taken for a ride.The NUNW leadership is now looking at buying into Ramatex after it closes, like they did with Ongopolo.They want to expropriate the company for their (leadership) benefit.The NUNW has been involved in businesses for a long time but there is no benefit that has gone to workers,” Jatamunua charged.Mihe Gaomab II, President of the Namibia Economic Society (NES), said it was vital for the NUNW to ensure that industrial peace prevailed in the country for economic development to take place.”It is important to have a labour union which is co-ordinated and talks with one voice on pressing economic problems confronting the union and the workers.There is a public perception of a leadership crisis in the NUNW but I am positive that the crisis issue will be addressed this weekend,” Gaomab II said.He said in order for economic growth to take effect in Namibia, it was important for labour unions, private sector and Government to work in a tripartite fashion to implement an economic policy as enshrined in the National Development Plans and Vision 2030.In his statement to mark May Day on Monday, Congress of Democrats leader Ben Ulenga urged unity in the trade union in striving for workers’ interest as well as for the general economic and social advancement of workers.”We are concerned in this regard, about recent fractious relations amongst those NUNW leaders who seem to be more interested in political squabbles than the genuine interests of the working people and their members.We grant, trade union leaders have the right to a political stand.However, we urge them to stop fighting the political battles of others, especially the factional politics of the ruling party, and concentrate on advancing workers’ interests,” Ulenga said.More than 1 000 delegates have already confirmed they that will attend the congress.Recently, divisions in the NUNW leadership, said to mirror divisions in the ruling party, have emerged raising the question of whether or not the labour movement should be actively involved in politics.Herbert Jauch, Director of the Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI) believes that the NUNW leadership crisis will take centre stage at the weekend congress.”Obviously the leadership issue will be top on the agenda.Its political implications will be of great importance and whether there will be a unified NUNW at the end of the congress,” Jauch said yesterday, adding that at the end of the day it was important for workers to have a unified labour movement instead of a fragmented one.”It is important that they come out of the congress having sorted out the leadership wrangle because a fragmented labour movement does not serve the interests of the workers,” Jauch said.He also said he expected issues directly affecting the workers to feature high on the agenda – such as large companies like Ramatex and how they should be dealt with, practices such as Labour Hire and how they affect workers and Black Economic Empowerment from the perspective of black workers.The Deputy Secretary General of the rival Public Service Union of Namibia (PSUN), Manfred Jatamunua, felt that very little would come out of the congress that would benefit the workers.”It will be a very politically charged congress, because it has to do with who will be representing the union at the Swapo Congress next year.Delegates will be concentrating on being politically correct,” Jatamunua said.He said the labour issues at Ramatex would certainly come out at the congress, but said the union leadership would only bring the matter up to give credit to its ambition to take over the textile factory.”I see a situation where workers will be taken for a ride.The NUNW leadership is now looking at buying into Ramatex after it closes, like they did with Ongopolo.They want to expropriate the company for their (leadership) benefit.The NUNW has been involved in businesses for a long time but there is no benefit that has gone to workers,” Jatamunua charged.Mihe Gaomab II, President of the Namibia Economic Society (NES), said it was vital for the NUNW to ensure that industrial peace prevailed in the country for economic development to take place.”It is important to have a labour union which is co-ordinated and talks with one voice on pressing economic problems confronting the union and the workers.There is a public perception of a leadership crisis in the NUNW but I am positive that the crisis issue will be addressed this weekend,” Gaomab II said.He said in order for economic growth to take effect in Namibia, it was important for labour unions, private sector and Government to work in a tripartite fashion to implement an economic policy as enshrined in the National Development Plans and Vision 2030.In his statement to mark May Day on Monday, Congress of Democrats leader Ben Ulenga urged unity in the trade union in striving for workers’ interest as well as for the general economic and social advancement of workers.”We are concerned in this regard, about recent fractious relations amongst those NUNW leaders who seem to be more interested in political squabbles than the genuine interests of the working people and their members.We grant, trade union leaders have the right to a political stand.However, we urge them to stop fighting the political battles of others, especially the factional politics of the ruling party, and concentrate on advancing workers’ interests,” Ulenga said.More than 1 000 delegates have already confirmed they that will attend the congress.