Govt workers accuse OPM of secrecy
A group of disgruntled civil servants has accused the office of the prime minister (OPM) of conducting an underhanded salary regrading process.
Adeline Black, the chairperson of the ''re-grading committee'', said staff only learned of the re-grading process “in the corridors” and had received no formal notification from the OPM.
According to Black, at least 21 job categories across government ministries have been affected by the re-grading, which has reportedly left some staff worse off than before.
“Some of the excluded staff members handed over a petition to the permanent secretary at the OPM but they were referred to their respective permanent secretaries, who had very little knowledge about the exercise,” she said.
According to Black it appears as if the government is unwilling to answer questions about how the re-grading was done and which criteria were used.
She also accused the government of denying public servants access to justice for over a year.
“The government lawyers postpone proceedings habitually in an attempt to deny the majority of civil servants justice,” she said.
The group called upon President Hage Geingob to intervene and compel the OPM to produce documents for scrutiny in the interest of fairness and transparency.
The OPM notified the media that no comment would be issued as the matter had been referred to the office of the labour commissioner as per Namibian regulations.
When contacted for comment, labour commissioner Henri Kassen confirmed that the case was registered with his office and was postponed to February next year for further hearings.
JEMIMA BEUKES
Adeline Black, the chairperson of the ''re-grading committee'', said staff only learned of the re-grading process “in the corridors” and had received no formal notification from the OPM.
According to Black, at least 21 job categories across government ministries have been affected by the re-grading, which has reportedly left some staff worse off than before.
“Some of the excluded staff members handed over a petition to the permanent secretary at the OPM but they were referred to their respective permanent secretaries, who had very little knowledge about the exercise,” she said.
According to Black it appears as if the government is unwilling to answer questions about how the re-grading was done and which criteria were used.
She also accused the government of denying public servants access to justice for over a year.
“The government lawyers postpone proceedings habitually in an attempt to deny the majority of civil servants justice,” she said.
The group called upon President Hage Geingob to intervene and compel the OPM to produce documents for scrutiny in the interest of fairness and transparency.
The OPM notified the media that no comment would be issued as the matter had been referred to the office of the labour commissioner as per Namibian regulations.
When contacted for comment, labour commissioner Henri Kassen confirmed that the case was registered with his office and was postponed to February next year for further hearings.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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