By Kuzeeko Tjitemisa
WINDHOEK – Close to 100 long-distance truck drivers of Etosha Transport face retrenchment should plans by the company to sell a portion of its fleet to WP Transport Namibia go ahead.
Etosha intends to sell the part of its fleet that operates the general cargo, SADC and Namibian Breweries Limited (NBL) contracts to WP Transport Namibia.
It also plans to cede the NBL transport and warehouse contracts to Imperial Managed Logistics Namibia.
Etosha Transport Managing Director Henning van Wyk confirmed the retrenchment when contacted for comment on Monday.
“Yes there will be retrenchments,” he said.
However he said he was not willing to discuss the issue further as it was still “too early”.
Close to 50 long-distance drivers on Monday gathered in front of the company saying they wanted clarity on the planned retrenchments.
“No one has explained in detail what is going to happen – all we are hearing in the corridors are rumours,” said one angry driver. Another who spoke on condition of anonymity in fear of reprisals said they were being “kept in the dark”.
“Nothing has been discussed with us,” he added.
He said they are still waiting for clarity from the Namibian Commercial Catering Food and Allied Workers Union (NCCFAWU) which represents them on the issue.
One of the letters addressed by the company to workers, dated 4 July, says: “Your employer has taken all reasonable steps possible in order to minimize terminations arising from retrenchment, and you are herewith implored to consider and accept the comparable alternative position at WP Transport as will be relayed to you during the meeting with your union representative.”
NCCFAWU secretary general Jonh Paporo said the agreement between the employers has not yet been fullfiled.
“We still need to sit around the table with employers to discuss this issue with them, but if they have to retrench workers they will retrench them on their own,” said the unionist.