EDITORIAL: Labour-market red flags
Labour minister Utoni Nujoma’s revelations this week - that between 2021/22, a total of 4 769 labour cases were registered - should raise red flags regarding the state of affairs within our labour market.
These figures, and the many other cases that remain unreported, are a clear sign that the quality of our job market is jeopardised and little is being done to remedy the situation - apart from cheap political jargon and half-hearted attempts to address issues.
The authorities have over the years taken a sit-back approach and watched from a distance while employers abuse their workers. In many instances, the scarcity of jobs has forced employees to suffer in silence, fearing retribution if they dare speak out.
Employers have realised that there are no punitive measures if they are caught on the wrong side of the law, simply because the authorities who ought to implement the labour regulations are too busy with other matters unrelated to their mandates.
With the unions running out of steam in recent times, workers have also lost faith in the organisations that are legally recognised to fight on their behalf.
The gap left by unions and the labour ministry is now seemingly being filled by activists, a situation which is clearly untenable and unsustainable in the long run - employers simply use the law as an excuse not to engage activists acting on behalf of workers because they do not have bargaining powers.
It is therefore the responsibility of workers to determine their own employment futures by choosing the right organisations to represent their interests.
These figures, and the many other cases that remain unreported, are a clear sign that the quality of our job market is jeopardised and little is being done to remedy the situation - apart from cheap political jargon and half-hearted attempts to address issues.
The authorities have over the years taken a sit-back approach and watched from a distance while employers abuse their workers. In many instances, the scarcity of jobs has forced employees to suffer in silence, fearing retribution if they dare speak out.
Employers have realised that there are no punitive measures if they are caught on the wrong side of the law, simply because the authorities who ought to implement the labour regulations are too busy with other matters unrelated to their mandates.
With the unions running out of steam in recent times, workers have also lost faith in the organisations that are legally recognised to fight on their behalf.
The gap left by unions and the labour ministry is now seemingly being filled by activists, a situation which is clearly untenable and unsustainable in the long run - employers simply use the law as an excuse not to engage activists acting on behalf of workers because they do not have bargaining powers.
It is therefore the responsibility of workers to determine their own employment futures by choosing the right organisations to represent their interests.
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