Lüderitz
More than 100 Nova-Nam seaworkers who have been engaged in a protracted strike since October have refused to attend a disciplinary hearing that was slated for Monday, because their employer does not recognise the new union supported by the workers.
Some of the workers at NovaNam joined the Mining, Metal, Marine and Construction (MMMC) union, because it had promised to engage the company to address their demands for improved pay and better working conditions.
Caleb Majooka, the leader of MMMC at Lüderitz, is disheartened that NovaNam wants all striking workers to be represented either by the Namibia Food and Allied Workers’ Union (NAFAU) or the Namibia Sea and Allied Workers’ Union (NASAWU).
Majooka says this is unfair because the striking workers are MMMC members, who can only be represented by the union of their choice.
Under police escort Majooka on Monday called on Nova-Nam’s human resources and corporate relations manager Manu Namukomba to show respect to MMMC rather than endorsing only NAFAU and NASAWU. He warned that MMMC would not support any wrongdoing by the company.
NovaNam wrote a letter to NAFAU, dated January 15, containing a notice of the seaworkers’ disciplinary enquiry. The letter said the workers were given notice of the disciplinary enquiry on Thursday, January 14, to be held at NovaNam company offices in Lüderitz on January 25. The same information was also forwarded to the seagoing workers via sms to their phones.
On the morning of January 25, more than 100 workers represented by Majooka went to NovaNam escorted by the police and called on the HR manager Namukomba to come out of Novanam’s offices to discuss the matter.
Namukomba said that NovaNam could not allow MMMC representatives to enter their premises to represent the employees, as it is not a recognised union. Only the employees due to partake in the disciplinary hearings would be allowed to enter, he said.
Namukomba further indicated that the company’s management is ready to assist the workers and is prepared to postpone the internal disciplinary hearing by 48 hours.
Majooka told Namukomba that MMMC members are willing to attend the hearing at the company once NovaNam follows the correct procedure.
“We will not support any wrongdoing from the company. None of our members will collect any documents from NAFAU of NASAWU office.
“Our members do not work for those unions. They work for NovaNam. So, we are urging the company to follow the necessary procedures and serve our members with their notice via the union of their choice”, Majooka stated.