Are worker unions becoming irrelevant in Namibia?

A cursory glance at online resources indicates that Namibia has about 30 trade unions, despite its small population of about 2.5 million people. These unions are grouped into two federations and several unaffiliated unions. The largest trade union federation is the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) which represents 60 000 to 70 000 workers.

During the last few years, the media has been inundated with serious reports of union leaders failing to show concrete results of benefits relating to workplaces issues such as mistreatment of workers, salary increases, hours of work, rights of workers to participate in legal strikes, physical assault and other conditions of workers. In simple terms, unions are speeding towards irrelevance because they are not adapting to changes in their social and political environments.

When one searches information about trade unions in Namibia on the web, you may discover that the unions do not optimally use modern technologies to inform, educate, train and entertain their members using websites and social media platforms. In general, some don’t have functional websites and those that have, are often outdated or provide limited online information and resources.

Imagine unions failing to share or provide essential documents, declarations, annual plans and operating reports and audited financial reports to their members — yet they want people to continue making payment while withholding information about what they do with the money.

Many do not have newsletters to keep in touch with their members countrywide. These days it is easy to produce and distribute electronic.

Websites are being neglected and avoided as union members sleep and fail to question things. Some unions do not have a social media presence which would allow members to interact with them. And yet, many unions have collected enough money and can afford to establish online radio and TV stations to inform and educate their members. Some unions have bought immovable assets and vehicles and have enough money to travel from one region to another, but they cannot provide the basics.

No one to answer to

In fact, they operate like many traditional authorities in Namibia, who don’t provide annual reports and other crucial documents to their subjects, which is of course a topic for another day.

Coming back to the topic; I have been a member of some of these unions for years, but I can tell you I have never received financial reports for any of the years, but my membership fee is deducted every month. If you are in government, they make sure they use a debit order from your salary. Inconsistently, in some years they would distribute table calendars or branded notebooks and pens. This money is not well spent, in an age when people use smartphones, and, in my view, these purchases are simply used to line the pockets of those who will be directly contacted to supply the items, because you will never see a tender or an advert about this. The internet that I am referring to here, could be used to conduct opinion polls to find out if members want branded gifts such as pens and notepads, before they are just blindly distributed.

In conclusion, since major unions in Namibia are affiliated to a political party it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for them to conduct their business in a fair, transparent manner and in the best interest of the workers they represent. The reason for this is that when you are affiliated, you will behave like a person in the presence of his or her godparents. Either you remain affiliated or you become independent ¬— you cannot achieve both. And it is only after you take this hard decision that you will start to appreciate wisdom and common sense.