WALVIS BAY – The Namibia Ports Authority (Namport) yesterday it suspended 100 employees following an illegal strike that started on Wednesday evening and which is said to have cost the utility millions of dollars already.
The employees who all work in the container terminal operations section at the port were suspended after they engaged in work stoppage on Wednesday evening, leading to their suspension.
The illegal strike also resulted in all container terminal operations being halted, since the workers were responsible for the loading, offloading and staging of containers. The suspended employees include mobile crane operators who load and offload trucks.
Although the operations of the container terminal were halted, operations in the break-bulk operations section, as well as security and marine services remained unaffected. They were suspended with immediate effect and were told to report to the company today so that a date for disciplinary hearings can be determined. Employees blatantly refused to come forward when their names were called out to receive their suspension letters yesterday afternoon. Only three accepted their letters, while one of the employees refused pointblank to take his letter. They were also told that they are not allowed to enter the Namport premises without permission. They are also not allowed to leave Walvis Bay without permission. However, some of the employees New Era spoke to said they want Namport to remove the supervisor at the container terminal. “The man is threatening some of us, saying that he will kill us. How can we work with such a person,” said one of the suspended employees. During a media briefing yesterday Namport’s Chief Executive Officer Bisey Uirab said the suspended employees are against a new method that was implemented on Monday to load and off-load containers.
“The new method is expected to increase efficiency and would make it easier to supervise the workers as they are now divided into various zones and not in a group as in the past. They don’t like to work like that, but rather in a group that cannot be correctly monitored,” Uirab explained. Uirab said the method has already been introduced to the employees in September last year and they were also prepared by the company to work on this system before it was implemented on Monday. “The other matter is that the workers are unhappy with a specific supervisor and want the company to remove him. However, no formal complained was made against the said supervisor, however we will investigate the matter,” Uirab said. He went on to say that Namport has consulted with the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (NATAWU) regional co-ordinator, John Uushona and the Labour Commissioner’s Office with regard to the illegal strike.
“Even the Erongo Regional police commander, Samuel //Hoebeb tried to engage with the workers to go back to work, but they refused to do so,” Uirab said. He further said all staff members, including those who went on strike are aware the industrial action was unsanctioned and illegal. “Namport will make alternative arrangements shortly and remedies to this effect. We regret the impact that this illegal strike has had on our customer’s services and operations and request understanding while dealing with the unexpected action,” he said. The same employees also staged a wildcat strike last year September and halted operations in the container terminal for two days after three crane operators, who refused to use the newly acquired Liebherr 550 cranes to load cargo onto hauliers, were suspended.
By Eveline de Klerk