Minister suspends voluntary separation at Sinomine Tsumeb smelter

The minister of justice and labour relations, Fillemon Wise Immanuel, has suspended the voluntary separation scheme at Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter following failed negotiations between the company’s management and the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN).The Chinese-owned smelter and the union’s national leadership could not reach an agreement by Monday night despite hours of discussions, prompting Immanuel to intervene.The minister warned that failure to resolve the dispute would lead to the invocation of Section 80 of the Labour Act, 2007 (Act No. 11 of 2007), which empowers him, through the labour commissioner, to appoint a conciliator or establish a tripartite panel to investigate and make recommendations on industrial conflicts affecting the national interest.“They have failed to reach a consensus. I already informed the company this morning of my decision and I have written a letter to them,” Immanuel told Network Media Hub (NMH) yesterday.He could not give a timeline on when this dispute will be fully resolved, saying it involves engagement with multiple stakeholders.Union rejects workforce reduction plansMUN general secretary Fillepus George Ampweya confirmed to NMH that no resolution had been reached, giving Immanuel grounds to proceed with invoking Section 80.“This dispute over the voluntary separation programme has been ongoing since May 2025, and despite the minister’s efforts, we remain at a deadlock,” he said.“Our position is that the smelter must withdraw the voluntary separation scheme. Management is not reasoning with us.”Ampweya explained that the smelter’s voluntary separation aims to reduce the workforce by 30% to 40%, potentially affecting around 300 employees – a move the union views as retrenchment, which, he stressed, requires negotiated packages rather than unilateral decisions by management.“The minister’s intervention allows us more time to negotiate better packages for our members,” he added.Government urges alternatives to job cutsThe labour ministry spokesperson Maria Hedimbi said while operational efficiency is important, job losses in any form have significant social and economic consequences, particularly in a country already grappling with high unemployment rates.She expressed concern over similar developments in the mining sector.“We urge investors and employers to explore alternative strategies that prioritise job preservation and protect the livelihoods of workers, in line with national development goals,” Hedimbi said.Company apologises for denying minister entryIn a separate incident, Sinomine Resources Group on Monday issued an apology after Immanuel and his delegation were denied entry to the Tsumeb smelter, where he was scheduled to engage with management over the planned voluntary retrenchment.Alina Garises, Sinomine’s manager of communications, described the incident as a miscommunication linked to the company’s longstanding alcohol testing policy, in place since 2013.Garises said the policy is essential to ensure safety and compliance within the high-risk industrial environment.“The smelter values its cooperative relationship with the Namibian government and local communities, and remains committed to contributing to Namibia’s social and economic development,” she said.Garises said she will consult internally and provide feedback. She had not done so at the time of going to print.

Minister suspends voluntary separation at Sinomine Tsumeb smelter

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-10

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Minister suspends voluntary separation at Sinomine Tsumeb smelter

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-10

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