Numerous financial institutions have talked about industrial action within the last few months and some have even followed suit with their threats of downing tools. This week New Era (NE) Business Journalist, Edgar Brandt, sat down with the Secretary General of the Bank Workers Union of Namibia (BAWON), Thomas Muchima (TM), to investigate some of the pressing issues affecting workers in the financial services sector.
NE: Tell us more about BAWON. Who does the union represent and what is the union’s history?
TM: “BAWON is a registered trade union that represents employees in banking and financial institutions. Our main focus as a union is on promoting, maintaining, and improving the conditions of employment and the financial well being of its members.
“Our union is dedicated to the principle of giving power directly to union members. We also aim to equip our leaders (union officials, National Executive Committee, stewards and activists) and strengthen our force as a prominent, democratic, accountable, and well-functioning union in the financial sector. Our mission is to unite all banking and financial sector employees to form one united union representing the interests of all members collectively.
“BAWON has been in existence since the 1980’s, operating originally during the Apartheid era. In those years, union membership was not compulsory, thus banks often attempted to persuade employees to rather form internal guilds (an organization of persons with related interests, goals, etc) within the bank. This so that banks could maintain greater control over its employees and exercise a monopoly against outsiders (i.e. against outside company unions). Despite their attempts, the banks failed in this bid, thus clearing the way for the rise of BAWON.
Before being rebranded as ‘BAWON’ in 1986, the union was known as Society of Financial Institutions (SOFI). BAWON was officially registered with the Office of the Labour Commissioner in 1994, the same year a post-colonial Recognition Agreement was signed to represent employees in Standard Bank Namibia Limited. That agreement was renewed again just this year 2013, on 15 July.
“BAWON was one the founding members of the federation called the Namibia Christian Social Trade Unions (NCSTU), which was affiliated to the World Federation of Labour. In 1992, the federation reconstituted itself as a Namibia People’s Social Movement (NPSM) to accommodate workers who were not Christians. The following were affiliates of NPSM:
– Bank Workers Union of Namibia (BAWON)
– Namibia Wholesale and Retail Workers Union (NWRWU)
– Namibia Building Workers Union (NBWU)
– The Namibia Bankers Union
– Namibia Fishing Industry
In 1998, a new federation was formed and it was called Namibia Federation of Trade Unions (NAFTU). In May 2002, Namibia People’s Social Movement (NPSM) and Namibia Federation of Trade Unions (NAFTU) merged to form a new federation called the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) as we know it today. All the above-mentioned organizations remain sister unions, under the umbrella of TUCNA today, together with other subsequently-joined organizations.”
NE: What are some of the pressing issues that BAWON is advocating for among workers in the financial services sector?
TM: “Namibia has been ranked high on the list of countries with great income inequalities, therefore BAWON is busy with the process of narrowing or equating the inequalities through collective bargaining.
“Escalating medical aid costs that are currently excessively profit driven, is a major concern to BAWON, while issues of discrimination, tribalism and nepotism rank high on our list of priorities. Stress in the workplace is also a chief matter requiring our urgent attention.
“In the interest of keeping up to date, we are also busy with the introduction of new technologies and trying to implement these as quickly as possible.”
NE: In your opinion, are there loopholes in Namibia’s labour laws, and how can unions deal with these?
TM: “Yes, we know there are several loopholes within the Labour Act. That is why we are currently proposing certain amendments to the Act. One drawback within the law, for example, is the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the Labour Advisory Council (LAC) on matters of health and safety. Currently, the LAC does not have a budget of its own,
capacity for conducting its own research and policy creation, a mandate
and a mechanism to compel the Ministry of Labour to take action on LAC recommendations. The minister has no obligation to implement advice, neither to explain why advice was never followed.”
NE: How would you describe the relationship between employers and employees in Namibia?
TM: “The relationship is not as strong and positive as it should be. Even between the two national federations of Namibia (NUNW and TUCNA), there is negativity and distrust. There is currently no proper social dialogue structure in place to facilitate collective cooperation amongst the distinct groups of employers, employees and government of Namibia.
“Unions still experience various problems when attempting to organize members and to have membership fees deducted. TUCNA affiliates continue to encounter intimidation and discrimination of members at the workplace, as well as refusals by some employers to deduct union membership fees.
“Typically, employers focus on transformation of the business, i.e. speed of implementation of internal policies and the introduction of advanced new technologies and operational systems. They are concerned with keeping costs and bad debts down, growing competition within the industry, and pursuing African profitability.
“Employees (and union representatives) on the other hand, are more concerned with working conditions, and personal and financial well-being (their own, and that of their family members). Hence, you can see why the two sides do not always see eye to eye on matters when their respective agendas are so different.”
NE: How transparent are employers when it comes to dealing with unions who represent their employees?
TM: “I would say that employers are very cautious when it comes to the issue of transparency. If employers were transparent, employees would not formulate assumptions which lead to rumours that hurt both the firm and employee/employer relations. That is currently happening. Employers do not have a deep trust in their employees, yet seem to expect that the employees should have deep trust in them. Having said that, it is important to note that there has been some improvement in the realm of employer transparency, but much more needs to be done. I can say we are on the right track in this regard.”
NE: How important do you think it is for employers to meet unions halfway when it comes to salary and benefit negotiations?
TM: ““Halfway’ can only work if half means half. We need to be very genuine with these issues. When employers say ‘halfway’, it is never, realistically, something split straight down the middle and fully equitable to both sides. What we are saying is that if employers proclaim to be unable to meet our proposed conditions, then evidence of that inability should be provided. Accounting reports should be transparent and made available to support their claim. Then we can understand their reasoning, and come up with proper alternative counter-proposals. Otherwise the withholding of information, otherwise put, the ‘lack of evidence’, leads to employee presumptions and dubious negotiations. We need to be more original.”
NE: In BAWON’s opinion what are some of the most crucial issues affecting workers in the financial service arena?
TM: “In addition to the pressing issues previously mentioned in question number 2, I can add that employers’ pressure on employees to speed up execution of high transformation initiatives is taking a physical and psychological toll on employees. Employers are pressurizing employees when it comes to sales as well. Everything is becoming about sell this, sell that, sell, sell, sell. If an employee falls short of this expectation, he or she is then criticized as being ineffective. The trouble with this is that most job descriptions amongst bank workers do not entail aspects of sales. Yet, in the eyes of the employers, every banker is a salesperson and the sole objective is ‘make more money.’ This doesn’t work, and employees are suffering for it.
“In order to remedy this and other workplace issues, we need to have common vision, clear values, reasonable expectations, and mutual trust and respect. When this can be the case, then productivity and sales will naturally abound. Happy, well-balanced employees will remain loyal to their employers, and will even help to maintain the firm in the face of setbacks. As the old saying goes, “you can catch a lot more butterflies with honey, than with vinegar”. We’ve a long way to go, but we are tirelessly working on it.”
By Edgar Brandt