Union claims May Day sabotage

The National Union Namibian Workers (NUNW) accused local authority and regional councillors who decided not to attend May Day celebrations in Walvis Bay of trying to sabotage the event. In Windhoek, a dampener was put on the union's May Day celebrations with the event poorly attended by roughly 200 people and the start delayed by two hours. Moreover, President Hage Geingob, who was on the programme as the keynote speaker, failed to appear and his speech was read by Swapo secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa.

At the coast, the secretary-general of the Namibia Public Workers Union and member of the NUNW executive committee Petrus Nevonga told a packed Kuisebmond Stadium of more than 200 people that the mayor of Walvis Bay Immanuel Wilfred and Erongo regional councillor Hafeni Ndemula were invited to address the workers.





“It is painful to see our leadership at regional and local authority level spreading rumours that our event should be boycotted. Wilfred and Ndemula both decided to not attend the event based on rumours that were circulated. They did not boycott the event organised by us, but boycotted the workers.”

Nevonga said Ndemula should remember where he comes from.

“He is a product of the NUNW and served the union in various capacities before becoming a regional councillor. We as the workers are not pleased with both leaders because they turned down the invitations due to cheap politics. It is a pity that they chose to conduct themselves in such a manner. We are however not deterred by this. We are an organisation of the workers, and this day is dedicated to the efforts of the workers.”

A WhatsApp message circulated on Tuesday indicated that the event hosted in Walvis Bay was intended to boycott the main event in Windhoek, where President Hage Geingob was invited to be the main speaker.

“As a union, we decide where May Day will be commemorated and do so without any interference. We do not ask permission from anyone how this event will be celebrated.”

Nevonga said the unions decided on the leaders they wanted to come and address the workers.

“We invited our president to address the workers in Windhoek, at the main event. We had no intention whatsoever of sabotaging the main celebrations. Those aiming for the president to fail, are not failing him, but the workers. We should rather join him in his efforts. It is important that we unite, and move together as a team.”

In response Ndemula told the media that he informed Jakob Penda, the secretary-general of the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (NAFAU) that he will not be able to attend the celebrations.

“Due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to travel and was only able to return late the afternoon. There was no one available to represent me at the celebrations.”

Contacted via WhatsApp Wilfred said that he wishes to speak to the media in person. However, he later said that he is out of town and should be contacted today.

Labour's executive director Bro Matthew Shinguadja, on behalf of the deputy labour minister Thomas Nambahu said that the workers “should not to be misled by what he labelled “briefcase unions who deliberately intend to mislead the workers”.

“This results in members/workers losing their jobs at the end of the day. Keep up the good spirit and continue to stand together in unity of purpose.”

In Windhoek, National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) president Albert Liswaniso addressed the small crowd and said unless corruption within the public and private sectors is tackled more decisively workers will continue to pay the price.

“NUNW is repulsed by lack of action or no action against corrupt culprits,” he said, warning that the public has begun to lose trust in their leaders and legal instruments meant to tackle corruption.



Challenges

The unionist also called on government to remember its commitment, following the land conference last year, to ensure land is equitably distributed and managed.

“Namibians should take priority in having access to land by all means, including giving effect to the constitution through appropriations,” he said, to loud applause.

He said the NUNW is “highly disturbed” by recent reports that land continues to be dished out through private-public partnership deals, referring to a contract between Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) with a private entity to develop a resort in the south.

He said private-public partnership deals are “costing the country dearly” by narrowing the competition in the tourism and hospitality industry.

He said the NUNW does not approve deals where extremely “large portions of land” are sold to non-Namibians, pointing to the sale of Erindi.

Liswaniso also took aim at the “increasing unaffordability of basic amenities such as food and shelter”.

He said the NUNW is “dumbfounded” that already suffering employees in the public sector are pushed deeper into poverty as the state tries to turn the economy around, noting that the union condemns the increase of PSEMAS contributions.



Act

The NUNW president tackled the insecurity of mineworkers in Namibia, and lack of security in the fishing sector as well as the delay in allocating fishing rights.

“Our fishing grounds have for too long now been exposed to pirate fishers who steal resources,” he said and called on the fisheries ministry to accelerate the process of granting rights.

Liswaniso said the NUNW “is flabbergasted by the abuse of our workers” employed in the retail and wholesale sectors by large companies, and are exposed to unfair employment contracts with meagre wages, which ensure an increase in poverty and health challenges.

“These companies employ people and offer them contracts that are not based on contracts regulated by Namibian labour laws,” he said.

In Geingob's speech read by Shaningwa, he sang the praises of the Namibian worker, saying that May Day needs to be celebrated with a “sense of gratitude and appreciation” and one which should be viewed “with greater significance”.

Geingob lauded Namibian workers for mobilising in the 1950s to form the first black labour movement, the Owamboland People's Congress (OPC) which was later transformed into the Owamboland People's Organisation (OPO) and then Swapo.

Geingob said that wealth redistribution in the country is non-negotiable adding that the socio-economic challenges that came from the “structural imbalances of the past”.

“There is no doubt that over the past several years, we have made progress, in multiple sectors. However, just as the contract labour system has left a scar on our society, so did the structural imbalances of the past also leave scars. To deny this fact is to shun the truth and a clear demonstration of blatant ignorance. All Namibians must embrace the culture of sharing and if they are unable to do so, they must be taught to do so.”



Leandrea Louw & Jana-Mari Smith