'It's only 40 cents' - NASAWU corners Gendev over ‘120%’ pay rise claim

The Namibia Seamen and Allied Workers Union (NASAWU) says what Gendev Fishing Group presented as a 120% salary increase amounts to just a 40-cent hourly raise.

In a statement issued yesterday, NASAWU president Paulus Hango said workers had not downed tools because they opposed higher wages, but because they were demanding what the union described as fair pay, transparency and respect during collective bargaining.

The statement follows Gendev's public defence of its wage offer after workers embarked on strike action earlier this week.

"The workers are not on strike because they reject progress, they are on strike because they demand fairness, honesty and dignity," Hango said.

The dispute centres not only on the size of the increase, but also on how wages are calculated, with the company referring to a packaged monthly remuneration figure while the union says the focus should be on workers' hourly basic wage.

Gendev publicly claimed that it had increased workers' basic salaries from N$2 900 to N$6 700. However, according to NASAWU, that figure does not reflect workers' actual basic earnings.

The union says employees currently earn N$29.60 per hour and that the company's latest offer raises this to N$30.00 per hour, an increase of 40 cents per hour, or roughly 1%.

Based on that hourly rate, NASAWU argues workers' monthly basic wage would amount to about N$5 850, rather than the N$6 700 cited by the company.

The union further alleges that Gendev arrived at the higher figure by including existing benefits such as a N$900 housing allowance and transport allowances, benefits it says workers already receive and which have not been increased.

"Packaging existing allowances as though they are part of a salary increase is misleading and does not improve workers' basic earnings," Hango said.

Call for renegotiation

NASAWU said workers are instead demanding a basic monthly salary of N$6 349, which it described as an 8% increase across the board.

The union further argued that the demand was reasonable given rising living costs, including food, transport, housing and electricity.

"The fishing industry depends on the dedication, sacrifice and hard work of its employees. Without the workers, there is no production, no exports and no profits," Hango said.

He urged Gendev to return to the negotiating table "with sincerity and a genuine commitment to good-faith bargaining", adding that successful wage negotiations depended on transparency, mutual respect and honest engagement.

NASAWU also called on the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation to continue monitoring the dispute and ensure that fair labour practices and collective bargaining principles are upheld.

The union appealed to striking workers to remain disciplined and peaceful while the dispute continues.

"Our message to Gendev Fishing Group is simple: Return to the negotiating table. Negotiate honestly. Negotiate in good faith. Respect the workers who are the backbone of your business," Hango said.

Efforts to obtain a comment from Gendev Fishing Group was unsuccessful. 

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