Gendor workers lodge disputeWorkers at a subsidiary of NovaNam at Walvis Bay, say they are paid far less than their colleagues at smaller fisheries companies. Issue strike ultimatum if demands not heard 0 Workers at Gendor factory which is incorporated under the NovaNam Group of Companies staged a peaceful protest on Monday and issued a ten-day ultimatum to management and shareholders demanding that the company resume negotiations with the Namibian Seaman and Allied Workers Union (NASAWU), the union which represents them.The 240 workers who are all members of NASAWU threatened that failure of the company to comply with their demands would leave them with no option but to withdraw labour.
According to the workers they notified the Office of the Labour Commissioner of their intention after being issued with a certificate declaring an unresolved dispute between them and the company on 30 August, after the conciliation board meeting reached a deadlock.
They allege that NovaNam receives the largest quota from the fisheries ministry and said they are earning a very low income in comparison with workers from other companies in the industry.
Temporary workers are said to earn N$14.44 per hour while permanent employees receive N$16. The company offered the workers a 4% increase which is equal to 73 cents per hour for permanent workers and 60 cents for temporay workers.
“They want the workers accept a proposed increase rate which will be applicable until 2018 and would result in them earning about N$18.18 per hour. Most companies currently offer their workers between N18 and N$19 per hour,” commented Erich Shitana, secretary-general of the union.
The company also offered the workers a N$20 per month increment for housing from N$310 to N$330 while temporary workers will receive N$110 (increased from N$100 per month). Apparently, other workers in the industry receive N$600.
Shitana says most companies provide N$500 and more for housing allowances to their workers.
The workers also allege that the company is also not willing to pay them bonuses this year which is an indication that it is not negotiating in good faith.
They said the last time the company employed workers (ten were taken into service) on a permanent basis was in 2009 and it has not done so ever since.
According to them the company employed more than 150 workers permanently compared to the 30 being employed now while over 200 workers are employed on a temporry basis without any benefits.
“The company should at least employ another 43 workers on a permanent basis to replace those who resigned over the past three years. The company temporarily employed persons in certain positions that have been vacated from January to December as casual. Why can’t these individual be promoted to become permanent employees? ” they questioned.
Victorine Tjitua received the petition on behalf of the company’s human resources department and promised to forward it to the relevant authorities. “Management will attend to the issue” she commented.