Swakop Uranium employees up in arms over bonus

OGONE TLHAGE WINDHOEK Employes of Swakop Uranium are up in arms over the company’s decision to replace a bonus incentive they were entitled to with a safety and production initiative, which they say will only cover 30% of the mine’s workforce.The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) criticised the decisions of Swakop Uranium CEO, Qui Bin. The measure, the union said, was grossly unfair.“If we were consulted, we would have highlighted that any idea that only caters to less than 30% of the employees for the effort of which 1 005 of the employees have contributed will just add fuel to the already demoralising working environment,” the union said.It also criticised Bin’s conduct, saying he showed no interest in addressing the plight of employees.The union further questioned the payment of bonuses to Swakop Uranium management and its efforts to block members of the bargaining unit from negotiating for one, despite the company’s financial position.Shifting blame“To our surprise and dismay, we learnt that the Swakop Uranium management excluded the bargaining unit members and gave themselves a bonus, despite emphasising the company’s negative financial situation earlier,” the MUN said.It also questioned why employees were being held to account for external factors that affected productivity at the mine, such as water shortages, power outages, delayed shipments of material mined and unrealistic budgeting.“The employees abide by the code of conduct of Swakop Uranium for the staff. Similarly, it is our expectation that managers also abide by the code of conduct of Swakop Uranium for management and not shift blame to the workforce to account for matters out of the hands of the bargaining unit members,” the union said.The MUN called on Swakop Uranium management to find a solution to concerns raised, saying: “It is imperative that all stakeholders ensure and assist to motivate the workforce and avoid labour unrest”.

Swakop Uranium employees up in arms over bonus

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Namibian Sun 2022-05-29

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Swakop Uranium employees up in arms over bonus

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Namibian Sun 2022-05-29

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