Seaflower lays off 140 workers after seven years, blames lack of quotas
Seaflower has laid off 140 casual workers in Lüderitz after seven years of service, saying it needs more fishing quotas to retain them.
The company announced that the workers’ fixed-term contracts had ended and could not be renewed under current production constraints.
The affected workers, however, have vowed not to leave the factory premises until the Minister of Justice and Labour Relations, Wise Immanuel, intervenes.
“We will not leave here until our plight is addressed. We are calling on the minister to intervene on our behalf and resolve this issue with the management of Seaflower and the board of Fishcor,” the workers said.
They said they had submitted a petition to Seaflower last week but received no response.
On Wednesday, they marched to the company to demand answers from CEO Alex Gawanab, insisting on a written reply that could be forwarded to the relevant ministries.
Severe financial pressure
Gawanab told the workers that Seaflower was under severe financial pressure and had implemented austerity measures to stay afloat.
“We have frozen a number of positions as part of our austerity measures in the past and are considering reopening at least 24 permanent positions to reduce the number of 104 casual employees, even though it is very difficult under the circumstances,” he said.
He explained that the petition had only just reached his office and clarified that the contracts were fixed-term agreements that had expired.
“The company has not chased anyone away. The contracts you signed are fixed-term contracts, which came to an end. There is no intention from us to renew them,” Gawanab stated.
He said Seaflower’s ability to rehire the workers depended entirely on whether the company received additional fishing quotas.
“If we do not get the requisite quota to boost our production, there will be no possibility of accommodating these employees. To that effect, we have engaged the relevant authority to assist us – not only for employment purposes but also for our survival as a company. Until such time, there is not much we can do,” he said.
The CEO said Seaflower was spending most of its revenue on “legacy expenditure” and could not reinvest sufficiently in operations.
“We will accommodate employees on a needs basis. We spend the bulk of our revenue on legacy expenditure, which is not taking us forward. That is why we have asked for support, so we can close those gaps and reinvest our revenue in company operations,” he added.
Waiting for quotas
Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (NAFAU) regional coordinator, Mateus Simon, condemned the dismissals, saying the union would not allow workers to be “thrown into the streets.” He urged the company and government to find a solution.
“We are not going to allow this and need to understand the government’s position on the matter. We are also requesting that the CEO revise the company’s stance on this issue,” Simon said.
He cited a directive from the Minister of Justice stating that workers employed on a temporary basis for several years should be considered permanent.
“The Minister of Justice issued directives pointing out that a person cannot work for seven years on a temporary basis and should be considered a permanent employee. We are waiting to see whether quotas will be made available to the company – or in the name of the casual workers – to enable them to continue working,” Simon added.
The workers say they will continue camping outside the factory until their concerns are addressed.
The company announced that the workers’ fixed-term contracts had ended and could not be renewed under current production constraints.
The affected workers, however, have vowed not to leave the factory premises until the Minister of Justice and Labour Relations, Wise Immanuel, intervenes.
“We will not leave here until our plight is addressed. We are calling on the minister to intervene on our behalf and resolve this issue with the management of Seaflower and the board of Fishcor,” the workers said.
They said they had submitted a petition to Seaflower last week but received no response.
On Wednesday, they marched to the company to demand answers from CEO Alex Gawanab, insisting on a written reply that could be forwarded to the relevant ministries.
Severe financial pressure
Gawanab told the workers that Seaflower was under severe financial pressure and had implemented austerity measures to stay afloat.
“We have frozen a number of positions as part of our austerity measures in the past and are considering reopening at least 24 permanent positions to reduce the number of 104 casual employees, even though it is very difficult under the circumstances,” he said.
He explained that the petition had only just reached his office and clarified that the contracts were fixed-term agreements that had expired.
“The company has not chased anyone away. The contracts you signed are fixed-term contracts, which came to an end. There is no intention from us to renew them,” Gawanab stated.
He said Seaflower’s ability to rehire the workers depended entirely on whether the company received additional fishing quotas.
“If we do not get the requisite quota to boost our production, there will be no possibility of accommodating these employees. To that effect, we have engaged the relevant authority to assist us – not only for employment purposes but also for our survival as a company. Until such time, there is not much we can do,” he said.
The CEO said Seaflower was spending most of its revenue on “legacy expenditure” and could not reinvest sufficiently in operations.
“We will accommodate employees on a needs basis. We spend the bulk of our revenue on legacy expenditure, which is not taking us forward. That is why we have asked for support, so we can close those gaps and reinvest our revenue in company operations,” he added.
Waiting for quotas
Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (NAFAU) regional coordinator, Mateus Simon, condemned the dismissals, saying the union would not allow workers to be “thrown into the streets.” He urged the company and government to find a solution.
“We are not going to allow this and need to understand the government’s position on the matter. We are also requesting that the CEO revise the company’s stance on this issue,” Simon said.
He cited a directive from the Minister of Justice stating that workers employed on a temporary basis for several years should be considered permanent.
“The Minister of Justice issued directives pointing out that a person cannot work for seven years on a temporary basis and should be considered a permanent employee. We are waiting to see whether quotas will be made available to the company – or in the name of the casual workers – to enable them to continue working,” Simon added.
The workers say they will continue camping outside the factory until their concerns are addressed.
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