WINDHOEK – Service station workers across the country are threatening to go on strike and have given the Association of Service Station Owners (ASSO) 48-hours notice to respond to their demands for better salaries and working conditions.
Their notice to strike comes as service station workers in South Africa are about to reach a settlement following their weeks-long strike that began on September 09. Namibian petrol attendants, through the Namibia Fuel and Allied Workers Union (NAFAWU), are demanding an audience with ASSO to start negotiations on better wages and benefits. Nafawu says it represents the majority of service station workers in the country, a claim that ASSO has questioned. ASSO president Rupert Harmse yesterday told New Era that he has asked the union to provide proof that it actually represents at least 50 percent of service station workers in the country.
“Since last week Tuesday there has been no communication from them proving this. Once they provide us with representative proof (sic) then we are ready to negotiate, because this is the law. However, this negotiation process will not be a one-day process and must be attended by ASSO, Nafawu, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, as well as the Ministry of Mines and Energy as the regulator,” said Harmse. He added that ASSO will respond within 48-hours and will request proof of representation from the union.
In a letter addressed to Harmse, the workers said failure to respond to their request for dialogue would result in pre-industrial proceedings and eventually mass industrial action without further notice. “As you may appreciate Mr Harmse, for the past months we have been trying to seek audience with your organization and at all material times you have been successfully ignoring us for all purposes and intent,” reads the letter by Nafawu Secretary General, David Frans. During a recent fuel conference at the Midgard Country Estate the workers handed over a petition to ASSO stating their demands.
The conference was attended by ASSO representatives, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, as well as oil company representatives to discuss industrial matters. The union says that following the handover of the petition it has garnered the majority membership of all service stations around the country and that through consultation it was given a mandate to follow all legal routes in good time. Said Frans: “We are currently busy consulting with our legal team and from our consultations we were advised that we have valid reasons to engage in a sectoral industrial action due to non-response on your end.”
According to Frans, the union, which is demanding a monthly wage of N$4500 for its members, has been submitting requests to ASSO over the past few months with no response. “Regrettably, we were informed that ASSO is justifying this conduct in that there is a clause inserted precluding representing individual members in labour related matters. It is our view that the said clause is in conflict with Section 53 of the Labour Act,” explained Frans. The SG also spoke out about the poor working conditions of service station employees, citing hazardous working conditions as workers inhale fuel-vapours on a daily basis while on duty.
“We were reliably informed by some service station owners that they are of the opinion that ASSO is not responding well to our plight and they have impressed upon us that this matter would have been dealt with immediately to avoid industrial action, which is likely to cost both parties, owing to the letter we have copied in all service station owners in Namibia for their conveniences (sic). We hope that you will find this communique useful and eventually revert back with a workable concession,” Frans told Harmse in the letter.
By Edgar Brandt