Mining bleeds 1 800 jobs

The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) says it anticipates 1 800 job losses in the sector by the end of September, while accusing mining companies of shipping their profits overseas. This follows multiple retrenchments witnessed in the industry over an almost yearlong period. “The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) Southern Region has learned with extreme shock that our mining industry is going onto its knees. Retrenchments and outsourcing are becoming the order of the day,” the union said in a strongly worded statement yesterday.“It is becoming normal that every day and every month people are continuously losing their jobs. The current trend is becoming worrisome to us and it needs to come to an end. The reasons these capitalists keep on sending young Namibians to the streets are not good enough or are even unreasonable. In most cases it is just for the sake of maximising their profits and cutting wage bills.”Retrenchments were carried out at the Langer Heinrich mine, where 800 people were dismissed while the potential for job losses also exists at the Namibia Tantalite Investment (NTI) mine and the Tschudi copper mine. The union said the retrenchments witnessed of late were not based on economic reasoning.“Most of the retrenchments in the mining industry are not based on economic reasons but rather a strategy for companies to maximise their profit and cut salaries.”According to MUN, the issue had to be studied because often times, miners were retrenched but skeleton crews were being kept on mining sites to oversee operations. This, it said, did not make sense as it was not feasible to keep skeleton crews on mining sites at all.“This matter of retrenchments should be investigated by government to ensure that these capitalists act according to the Namibian law and we further urge the government to start revoking mining licences of companies who embark on retrenchment exercises without valid reasons, and after they embark on recruiting skeleton crews; there is no way skeleton crews can work in the mining industry,” the union said.The Langer Heinrich mine very recently went on care and maintenance, sealing the fate of over 800 of its employees, who are currently unemployed, while Namdeb said it would be cutting down production at its Elizabeth Bay mine, which it has since put up for sale.MUN said the big mining companies were more interested in taking their profits out of Namibia, rather than ploughing back.“We cannot tolerate seeing our fellow Namibians on the street each and every day due to investors who are not serious to run businesses in this country. The idea of allowing investors in this country is to create employment, not unemployment; this should not be vice versa.”The union also warned the ministries of labour and mines would soon be irrelevant, owing to developments in the mining sector, which has long been the mainstay of Namibia's economy.“These two ministries have become so reluctant that when they hear of retrenchments or threats, they always wait for the union to come knock on their doors. Now don't they think that if all the employees are retrenched and all mines are closed they will be irrelevant? Who will the labour ministry represent and who will the mines ministry represent?” the union asked.The National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), to which MUN is an affiliate, recently said that job losses in the mining sector were inevitable. Its secretary-general Job Muniaro said this was because government had not taken up active shareholding in the sector. “You see, we are not the administrator of government or the administrator of private companies or not even the administrators of international institutions, so for us to have a meaningful assistance in containing job losses is minimal,” he recently told New Era. The industry, he said, would be better safeguarded if government had played a bigger role in the sector.“We are not determining the value of our own minerals, we are not determining the value of our own products; our values are determined by somebody else. We are not even selling our own products and minerals in the country, so how do you want us to contain jobs as leaders, even as union leaders?” said Muniaro.MUN also accused the ministry of home affairs of double standards and said that breaches of immigration laws had been witnessed.This follows a commitment by African Tantalum to appoint a Namibian CEO in the place of a foreigner, who is heading its mining operations.“The work permit for Mr Johnson Larry Freeman was first approved on 15 November 2016 for 24 months to work for African Tantalum only, and on condition that a Namibian understudy be appointed and take over upon expiry of the given permit,” the union said.According to MUN, no understudy had been appointed, despite a commitment by African Tantalum.Such developments also locked out Namibians from taking up executive positions at local mining operations, the union said.“Looking at the position he occupies at this mine, there are several Namibians duly qualified to take over this position, without going through the process of being an understudy. Namibians are not granted a fair opportunity, culminating in permanent employment for expatriates and we cannot really support that,” the union added.OGONE TLHAGE

Mining bleeds 1 800 jobs

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-05

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Mining bleeds 1 800 jobs

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-05

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