Lüderitz
Secretary general of the Namibian Employers’ Federation (NEF) Tim Parkhouse has appealed to workers, employers and government to work together to improve productivity.
Parkhouse emphasised that a tripartite alliance and harmony would create more jobs and address poverty, and would leave Namibia a better country for future generations.
Parkhouse said this in his speech delivered on his behalf by Ulf Grunewald at the recent labour gathering held in Lüderitz.
He said NEF is involved in the process to develop a productivity centre within the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation.
“We must, however, not expect this centre to change everything. It can only be useful to increase Namibian productivity,” said the long-serving NEF chief.
He also referred to the issue of phosphate mining. “We must never forget that Lüderitz has a flourishing, very valuable and employment creating fishing industry,” emphasised Parkhouse.
He explained that the NEF represents employers in general and it understands the enticing scene of more employment and growth for the town, “but Namibia has had its share of such glowing projects in the past and too many promises have been broken”.
He singled out Ramatex where thousands of textile workers lost their jobs and Barden International the car-assembly plant whose premature closure in Windhoek resulted in job losses.
According to Parkhouse, the NEF is 100 percent certain that undersea mining will have no long-term detrimental effect on the fishing industry. Therefore, he hopes and trusts that international environmental experts who are completely unbiased will be contracted to look at the impact on the fishing industry and to do a cost benefit evaluation of the relationship between phosphate mining and the continuing life and long-term sustainability of the fishing industry.