Metro, Nafau seal N$450 wage deal

Retail group Metro has agreed to an across-the-board wage increase of N$450 for its employees, following a new agreement with the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau).

Nafau deputy secretary general Willem Absalom said the one-year agreement, including about 10% raise, was reached without disruption to Metro's operations, despite economic pressures facing both parties.

He said negotiations focused on improving employees’ living standards while encouraging greater productivity. “Happy workers will be more productive,” Absalom said.

The agreement also provides for adjustments to certain specialised positions and policies, which the parties agreed could be reviewed where necessary.

Absalom thanked Metro management for its approach during the negotiations, saying the agreement was about the interests and welfare of employees rather than the union. Metro managing director Bryan Davis said the company has more than 2 000 employees and welcomed the conclusion of the negotiations.

“We are very pleased that we reached an amicable agreement and that our people can now get to whatever is due to them and we can move on,” Davis said.

Absalom also encouraged employees who are not union members to join NAFAU, saying the union negotiates on behalf of all employees covered by the bargaining unit.

The agreement brings the negotiations to a close while providing employees with an across-the-board wage increase and adjustments to specialised positions.

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