Salini Namibia and the Metal and Allied Workers Union (MANWU) have reached an agreement for a salary increment of N$2.20 per hour across the board for all workers at Neckartal Dam.
The agreement was signed on the 9th of this month by Salini management and the workers, who were represented by their shop stewards and MANWU.
It was agreed that the contractor would award all employees a pay increase of N$2.20 on the basic hourly rate across the board effective from March 1, 2015, until February 29, 2016.
Another increase would be effected in March next year, with Salini granting a basic salary increment of N$2.67 on the basic hourly rate to all employees across the board until February 2017.
As part of the agreement, the parties further agreed to discuss and deliberate on the workers’ salary discrepancies at a later date while MANWU would provide Salini with a detailed list of salary discrepancies. Thereafter, Salini is expected to reply in writing regarding the union’s queries on or before May 20, 2015.
After this date, the two parties would meet on a date to be agreed between the two parties to discuss the issue of salary discrepancies among workers.
The two parties also agreed to implement the decision of the labour commissioner regarding the living-away allowance after Salini requested the labour commissioner to interpret its meaning.
MANWU General Secretary Jonas Justina told New Era that although she was not in the country when the agreement was signed, she understands the workers are happy with the outcome of the wage negotiations.
“I wasn’t there in person but I understand the workers are happy,” she stated.
She added that workers got what they demanded for and anything less would not have been taken, so she expects all the workers to be happy with the outcome.
“We couldn’t have signed it if they were not happy anyway,” she said about the signed agreement.
Salini Namibia is an Italian company building the N$2.8 billion Neckartal Dam near Keetmanshoop.