NAUTE DAM – Namibia Industrial Development Agency (Nida) employees stationed at the entity’s Naute Dam irrigation project outside Keetmanshoop, have stuck to their guns and say they won’t return to work until their demands for salary increments have been met.
The employees through their union, the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau), have been demanding salary increments of eight, 10, and 12% for employees falling within CE, B and A bands respectively.
In addition, they also want their transport allowances to be increased by N$300 and N$500 and a housing allowance of N$500 for employees not making use of company accommodation.
Nafau’s Keetmanshoop branch organiser, Rosalia Albert said if no amicable solution or agreement is reached between the parties, the workers will continue with the industrial action despite not being paid.
“When Nafau approached Nida with these increment proposals, their management countered it with 0.0%, forcing us to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Labour Commissioner,” she said.
The workers’ representative went on to say the process of conciliation and arbitration were followed accordingly after which a certificate of unresolved dispute was issued by the Labour Commissioner.
“This certificate allows the workers to go on strike, and all of them are in favour of this industrial action,” said Albert.
Shop-steward Godfried Piette said the company failed to give them a salary increment in March 2023.
“The cost of living has in the meantime doubled, hence our demand for better salaries… Nida can afford to appoint people in executive positions, but has no money for us who are bringing income for them from produce being exported from the farm. We are strongly recommending that the entity be transferred back to the line ministry’s control,” he said.
Piette further said their employer is only willing to give them a 4.5% increase on their transport and food allowances, which is unacceptable.
“The Nida management is weak and does not have our interests at heart. And, also the fact that they recruited 60 seasonal employees to cover for our absence from work is worrisome,” he said.
A worker, who preferred anonymity, said she has been in service since 2001, and it has become difficult to live on the same salary every year while raising five school-children.
“The cost of living and inflation are increasing every year, making it impossible for us to survive,” she stated. She said they have been blacklisted for failing to make monthly payments on loans.
“At times, the electricity supply is disconnected at our company houses due to late or non-payments by our employer to NamPower, forcing us to use firewood, and our perishable food gets rotten,” she moaned.
Approached for comment, Wessel !Nanuseb, Nida’s senior manager for corporate services and human resources said the company has been negotiating with Nafau since Monday.
“We are facing a cash flow challenge, and can thus not afford the salary and allowances’ increments demanded by our workforce at the irrigation farm in Keetmanshoop,” he added.
The executive also expressed hope that the two parties can reach an amicable solution, as they were to continue negotiations last night.
“At this stage, Nida moved from 0 to 5.5% salary increment offer, and will wait to see if the union accepts it since it is induced at the current inflation rate,” !Nanuseb said.
He said if any State-owned enterprise such as Nida intends to offer increments above that ceiling, they have to explain to their line ministry from where they will source the funds.
-sklukowski@nepc.com.na