Workers ‘strongly united’, new union leader charges

NEWLY elected National Union of Namibian Workers President Alpheus Muheua says Namibian workers are now more united than ever before.

According to Muheua, the union’s fourth congress – regarded as one of the most bitter and divisive in the union’s history – at the weekend had dispelled any notion of division. “The Namibian nation was waiting for the congress.Even those in the process of forming and starting their own political parties were waiting.Now the workers have spoken,” Muheua proclaimed to those who turned up for Monday’s May Day rally.He felt that unity was best seen in the issues discussed at the congress, which included a minimum wage for the security and construction industries, corruption, the Labour Act and the National Budget.”The issue of disunity was rested for good.Workers are united,” he said.His statement came a day after he took over from Risto Kapenda, who walked out of the NUNW congress following a vote of no confidence introduced by two powerful unions, the Namibia Public Workers’ Union and the Namibia Food and Allied Workers’ Union.Before he was ousted, Kapenda said NUNW leaders were allowing themselves to be manipulated by divisions.”When workers are at each other’s throats, employers are united and make us suffer,” he said, adding that even the Government had cashed in on the divisions because the union bargaining team was not properly constituted and negotiated without workers’ mandate during recent negotiations on salary increases for civil servants.”We pretend to be catering for workers but the NUNW is a political setup where workers find themselves in the firing line and suffering,” Kapenda said.He said that the disunity had become so bad that a group of NUNW leaders had visited President Hifikepunye Pohamba behind his back.”It is normal for a dog to bite a person but abnormal for someone to bite the dog.I will keep politics out of workers’ issues.Let’s not be confused by politics,” Kapenda said.Kapenda claimed the NUNW had been infiltrated by leaders who fed their own egos while workers were facing retrenchments.”Let’s not buy faces,” he said.At Monday’s May Day rally, Muheua said the new leaders were committed to working with Swapo and Government and would be the servants of workers – not bigger than them or the NUNW.Swapo President Sam Nujoma, the main speaker at the rally, said unity was a prerequisite for the effective promotion of workers’ interests.”That means that it is only when there is unity among the entire leadership of the unions that they will meaningfully champion the rights of the workers,” he said.”The Namibian nation was waiting for the congress.Even those in the process of forming and starting their own political parties were waiting.Now the workers have spoken,” Muheua proclaimed to those who turned up for Monday’s May Day rally.He felt that unity was best seen in the issues discussed at the congress, which included a minimum wage for the security and construction industries, corruption, the Labour Act and the National Budget.”The issue of disunity was rested for good.Workers are united,” he said.His statement came a day after he took over from Risto Kapenda, who walked out of the NUNW congress following a vote of no confidence introduced by two powerful unions, the Namibia Public Workers’ Union and the Namibia Food and Allied Workers’ Union.Before he was ousted, Kapenda said NUNW leaders were allowing themselves to be manipulated by divisions.”When workers are at each other’s throats, employers are united and make us suffer,” he said, adding that even the Government had cashed in on the divisions because the union bargaining team was not properly constituted and negotiated without workers’ mandate during recent negotiations on salary increases for civil servants.”We pretend to be catering for workers but the NUNW is a political setup where workers find themselves in the firing line and suffering,” Kapenda said.He said that the disunity had become so bad that a group of NUNW leaders had visited President Hifikepunye Pohamba behind his back.”It is normal for a dog to bite a person but abnormal for someone to bite the dog.I will keep politics out of workers’ issues.Let’s not be confused by politics,” Kapenda said.Kapenda claimed the NUNW had been infiltrated by leaders who fed their own egos while workers were facing retrenchments.”Let’s not buy faces,” he said.At Monday’s May Day rally, Muheua said the new leaders were committed to working with Swapo and Government and would be the servants of workers – not bigger than them or the NUNW.Swapo President Sam Nujoma, the main speaker at the rally, said unity was a prerequisite for the effective promotion of workers’ interests.”That means that it is only when there is unity among the entire leadership of the unions that they will meaningfully champion the rights of the workers,” he said.