Lockout at Namibia Press and Tools
The management of Namibia Press and Tools (NPT) at Walvis Bay on Monday implemented a lockout after an unresolved wage dispute.
NPT manufactures spare parts for Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen for export to Germany.
A lockout means the employer stops the employees from working days before a strike, presumably in an effort to have them agree to the company's offer or to prevent the strike.
The lockout was announced in advance of a strike scheduled for 6 March by 17 employees affiliated to the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union (Manwu).
Speaking to Nampa on Tuesday, Manwu's Walvis Bay branch organiser, John Hinyekwa, said the strike would go ahead despite the lockout.
He said the union and company could not reach agreement on salary and housing allowance increases.
Hinyekwa said the workers had demanded an increase of N$1.90 on their current hourly rate of N$16, while the company offered N$1.21.
On housing, the employees asked for a raise from the current N$560 to N$730 per month while the company offered N$600.
Hinyekwa said conciliation attempt was made on 16 February but deadlock was reached and the conciliator issued a certificate of unresolved dispute.
The workers then voted in favour of a strike and a strike notice was issued to the company.
“We are still willing to negotiate if the company calls us to the table again,” said Hinyekwa.
The plant manager at NPT, Wernher Riedel, on Wednesday confirmed the lockout to Nampa.
He said they had explained to the employees and the union that NPT's contracts were running out, which had halved its annual turnover over the past two years.
“What can be done to resolve the situation is that we need to understand the financial situation we are currently in and stand together,” he said.
NAMPA
NPT manufactures spare parts for Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen for export to Germany.
A lockout means the employer stops the employees from working days before a strike, presumably in an effort to have them agree to the company's offer or to prevent the strike.
The lockout was announced in advance of a strike scheduled for 6 March by 17 employees affiliated to the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union (Manwu).
Speaking to Nampa on Tuesday, Manwu's Walvis Bay branch organiser, John Hinyekwa, said the strike would go ahead despite the lockout.
He said the union and company could not reach agreement on salary and housing allowance increases.
Hinyekwa said the workers had demanded an increase of N$1.90 on their current hourly rate of N$16, while the company offered N$1.21.
On housing, the employees asked for a raise from the current N$560 to N$730 per month while the company offered N$600.
Hinyekwa said conciliation attempt was made on 16 February but deadlock was reached and the conciliator issued a certificate of unresolved dispute.
The workers then voted in favour of a strike and a strike notice was issued to the company.
“We are still willing to negotiate if the company calls us to the table again,” said Hinyekwa.
The plant manager at NPT, Wernher Riedel, on Wednesday confirmed the lockout to Nampa.
He said they had explained to the employees and the union that NPT's contracts were running out, which had halved its annual turnover over the past two years.
“What can be done to resolve the situation is that we need to understand the financial situation we are currently in and stand together,” he said.
NAMPA
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