Workers’ unions are calling on the government to consider introducing paternity leave to allow both parents to care for newborn babies.
The call follows justice and labour relations minister Wise Immanuel’s announcement yesterday of an increase in Social Security Commission (SSC) benefits such as maternity and sick leave, disability, retirement and death fund, effective 1 October.
The minister announced that maternity benefits will increase from N$15 000 to N$20 000 as from 1 October, while sick leave benefits will rise from N$11 250 to N$15 000 for the first 12 months and from N$9 750 to N$13 000 for the final 12 months.
Death, retirement and disability benefits will each increase from N$12 000 to N$15 000.
Affirmative Repositioning parliamentarian Frederick Shitana says the minister had done well, but adds that men remain excluded from benefiting.
In response, the minister reiterated in the National Assembly yesterday that Namibia has no statutory paternity leave provision, adding that employers offering it do it at their discretion.
He said institutions may, however, introduce paternity leave through their respective employment or industrial policies.
“Institutions that may have paternity leave are doing it on their own and it is not prohibited in any way. They are allowed,” he said yesterday.
National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) secretary general Job Muniaro yesterday said men are equal parents and should be given an opportunity to support their partners and bond with their newborn babies during the early stages of parenthood.
He said women should not be left to bear the responsibilities and consequences of childbirth alone.
“Children grow healthier in the care of both parents. The mother cannot experience pregnancy and even after pregnancy alone. They need to recover,” he said.
However, he welcomed the increase, saying it would help parents meet the costs of caring for their babies, especially those earning less than N$20 000.
“The increment is long overdue, considering the cost of living and the cost of caring for a baby. It will cover 50 to 70% of workers earning below N$20 000,” he said.
Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) secretary general George Ampweya yesterday said the union supports the implementation of paternity leave, describing it as a social issue.
He said men need to be present in the lives of their newborn babies.
“We are in support of benefits that support men,” he said.
“These social things we’re experiencing now may be a result of absent fathers. We are happy about the increase, although it is not absolute, it is a step in the right direction,” Ampweya said.
The union had previously made a submission to NUNW for the labour minister to introduce paternity leave.
“The current setup sort of excludes fathers from the critical years of their children. We want fathers to be able to bond and support their partners during that time,” Ampweya said.
SSC contributions are monthly payments shared equally between employers and employees to fund the maternity, sick leave and death fund.
Employees earning a basic salary of N$500, according to SSC acting chief executive Ben Nangombe, contribute N$4 per month, while those earning between N$501 and N$12 000 contribute 0.9% of their basic salary.
The Cabinet in 2023 approved the introduction of paternity leave to the Labour Act and directed that it be adopted in the public service.
It also directed the labour ministry and the Employment Creation and relevant role-players, through the tripartite taskforce, to review the Labour Act to broaden the scope of compassionate leave to cover paternity leave and the extension of the period of unpaid maternity leave from 12 to 14 weeks.
