No agreement on strike rules
The drafting of strike rules for an anticipated strike by teachers in the public service has been delayed, possibly until Wednesday, says Nantu secretary-general Basilius Haingura.
The teachers are demanding an 8% salary increase while the government has offered 5%. This has led to teachers unanimously voting for strike action.
Nantu and a team of government officials are now compiling a list of rules for the strike and were expected to be finished by Thursday last week.
However, according to Haingura they could not finalise the rules because the government officials are “deliberately frustrating” the process.
“The issue is government is complicating the whole matter. They are coming up with rules that contradict the Labour Act, but we will see what happens on Wednesday,” he said.
Nantu is expected to meet with the National Teachers’ Council today to discuss a compromise on the rules.
Once the strike rules are agreed the union must notify the government and the Labour Commissioner of its intention to strike within 48 hours.
This comes at a time when the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) is calling on teachers and the government to return to the table to renegotiate the additional 3% that teachers are demanding.
At a press conference last week, NUNW SG Joe Muniaro said a strike would have far-reaching consequences for the entire nation.
Muniaro also called on President Hage Geingob and the Swapo Party to call an urgent meeting with the Nantu leadership and persuade them to renegotiate.
“This can also cause mistrust in the party from its suffering teachers and their dependants. Let us not allow a situation that will be more costly to happen as this damage might be more than the 3% that is demanded by teachers in addition to the 5% that government offered,” Muniaro said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
The teachers are demanding an 8% salary increase while the government has offered 5%. This has led to teachers unanimously voting for strike action.
Nantu and a team of government officials are now compiling a list of rules for the strike and were expected to be finished by Thursday last week.
However, according to Haingura they could not finalise the rules because the government officials are “deliberately frustrating” the process.
“The issue is government is complicating the whole matter. They are coming up with rules that contradict the Labour Act, but we will see what happens on Wednesday,” he said.
Nantu is expected to meet with the National Teachers’ Council today to discuss a compromise on the rules.
Once the strike rules are agreed the union must notify the government and the Labour Commissioner of its intention to strike within 48 hours.
This comes at a time when the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) is calling on teachers and the government to return to the table to renegotiate the additional 3% that teachers are demanding.
At a press conference last week, NUNW SG Joe Muniaro said a strike would have far-reaching consequences for the entire nation.
Muniaro also called on President Hage Geingob and the Swapo Party to call an urgent meeting with the Nantu leadership and persuade them to renegotiate.
“This can also cause mistrust in the party from its suffering teachers and their dependants. Let us not allow a situation that will be more costly to happen as this damage might be more than the 3% that is demanded by teachers in addition to the 5% that government offered,” Muniaro said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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