Jobless demonstrate at Otjiwarongo
Nearly 200 unemployed people staged a peaceful demonstration in Otjiwarongo yesterday to demand jobs at a cement plant under construction outside town.
The construction of the Whale Rock Cement factory trading under Cheetah Cement started in March this year, approximately 6 km north of Otjiwarongo in the Otjozondjupa Region.
The mostly men and five women marched to the site where they handed over a petition, saying they can do some of the easier manual labour such as pushing wheelbarrows and mixing concrete – jobs which are allegedly being done by Chinese nationals at the site.
“We need work and a fair recruitment system,” the petition said.
The concerned residents also complained that the locals who are employed at the site as general labourers, are paid too little as they allegedly only get N$80 per day and also do not have safety gear.
They gave the company seven working days from yesterday to respond to their concerns.
Receiving the petition, Whale Rock Cement's employee relations officer, Willem /Nanub said about 80 Chinese nationals and between 10 to 20 Namibians are employed at the site to construct the administration block of the factory as the first phase.
“I have received your petition and I will work on it and try to respond to your concerns in writing before Friday this week,” he said.
/Nanub said the company will need more skilled and semi-skilled Namibians during the second phase of the project when actual construction of the plant starts in August this year.
About 400 job opportunities will be created during the second phase.
NAMPA
The construction of the Whale Rock Cement factory trading under Cheetah Cement started in March this year, approximately 6 km north of Otjiwarongo in the Otjozondjupa Region.
The mostly men and five women marched to the site where they handed over a petition, saying they can do some of the easier manual labour such as pushing wheelbarrows and mixing concrete – jobs which are allegedly being done by Chinese nationals at the site.
“We need work and a fair recruitment system,” the petition said.
The concerned residents also complained that the locals who are employed at the site as general labourers, are paid too little as they allegedly only get N$80 per day and also do not have safety gear.
They gave the company seven working days from yesterday to respond to their concerns.
Receiving the petition, Whale Rock Cement's employee relations officer, Willem /Nanub said about 80 Chinese nationals and between 10 to 20 Namibians are employed at the site to construct the administration block of the factory as the first phase.
“I have received your petition and I will work on it and try to respond to your concerns in writing before Friday this week,” he said.
/Nanub said the company will need more skilled and semi-skilled Namibians during the second phase of the project when actual construction of the plant starts in August this year.
About 400 job opportunities will be created during the second phase.
NAMPA
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