Determined fishermen fight on
OTIS FINCK
More than 300 fishermen staged another peaceful protest in Walvis Bay yesterday.
The fishermen, who had been dismissed after an illegal strike, marched to the offices of the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation and handed over a petition demanding a response from Minister Erkki Nghimtina.
Gertrude Usiku, the office’s head of administration and chief arbitrator, received the petition and faxed it to the office of the minister.
The petition demanded that dismissed fishermen be reinstated and that their overtime backdated to 2008 be paid in full.
“We are very much appreciative of the amendment of sections 17 and 19 of the Labour Act in October 2016, which states that workers may not work more than nine hours per day, no more than five hours of overtime per day, and night allowance must start from 20:00 until 07:00. We want to know when this amendment came into force, however,” said Mathew Lungameni, a member of a committee established to represent the fishermen.
Usiku said her office had already exhausted all possible avenues to assist the fishermen and there was no way they could be further assisted.
She produced a copy of a notice of dismissal in the matter between the Metal, Mining, Maritime and Construction Union (MMMC) and Namcrab Fishing issued on 19 July 2016 following the illegal strike of October 2015
She pointed out that the case brought by the strikers was dismissed because of defective documents that were submitted by the union which did not comply with Rule 5 and Section 129 of the Labour Act.
“The applicant (union) acknowledged the above and also admitted that it did not comply with requirements related to Rule 14 of the Labour Act, which deals with the referral of dispute to arbitration, and Rule 17 of the Act, which deals with the referral of class disputes to arbitration. The case was subsequently dismissed,” Usiku said.
She said the striking fishermen were provided with another opportunity to present their case to deputy director Phillip Mwandingi in 2016 and he dismissed it on the same grounds.
More than 300 fishermen staged another peaceful protest in Walvis Bay yesterday.
The fishermen, who had been dismissed after an illegal strike, marched to the offices of the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation and handed over a petition demanding a response from Minister Erkki Nghimtina.
Gertrude Usiku, the office’s head of administration and chief arbitrator, received the petition and faxed it to the office of the minister.
The petition demanded that dismissed fishermen be reinstated and that their overtime backdated to 2008 be paid in full.
“We are very much appreciative of the amendment of sections 17 and 19 of the Labour Act in October 2016, which states that workers may not work more than nine hours per day, no more than five hours of overtime per day, and night allowance must start from 20:00 until 07:00. We want to know when this amendment came into force, however,” said Mathew Lungameni, a member of a committee established to represent the fishermen.
Usiku said her office had already exhausted all possible avenues to assist the fishermen and there was no way they could be further assisted.
She produced a copy of a notice of dismissal in the matter between the Metal, Mining, Maritime and Construction Union (MMMC) and Namcrab Fishing issued on 19 July 2016 following the illegal strike of October 2015
She pointed out that the case brought by the strikers was dismissed because of defective documents that were submitted by the union which did not comply with Rule 5 and Section 129 of the Labour Act.
“The applicant (union) acknowledged the above and also admitted that it did not comply with requirements related to Rule 14 of the Labour Act, which deals with the referral of dispute to arbitration, and Rule 17 of the Act, which deals with the referral of class disputes to arbitration. The case was subsequently dismissed,” Usiku said.
She said the striking fishermen were provided with another opportunity to present their case to deputy director Phillip Mwandingi in 2016 and he dismissed it on the same grounds.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article