WALVIS BAY – Lewcor Plant Hire, the main contractor at the Navachab Gold Mine says to date all employees within the bargaining unit have received monthly attendance bonuses.
Lewcor Plant Hire workers last week downed tools over unpaid bonuses and grievances relating to the 13th cheque.
According to a statement issued over the weekend by Lewcor, the monthly bonuses if added up are even more than a monthly salary if calculated over only 10 months, but are not being acknowledged or recognised by the union and its employees.
“Not only did the employees receive annual increases for 2013/2014 ranging from 7 percent to 26 percent while they also received a housing allowance and salary adjustments ranging from 11 percent to 66 percent, prior to the 2013/2014 wage negotiations,” according to the statement issued by the company.
The company says a tremendous employee turnover was experienced as a result of a single illegal strike a the end of November 2011 causing at least 167 employees to be dismissed.
The company also revealed that only 10 percent of its total workforce is currently on strike.
The company employs about 240 employees.
Employees yesterday afternoon confirmed that they are still on strike.
Speaking to New Era, last week, Pineas Pombili the branch chairperson of the Mine Workers Union of Namibia (MUN) at Lewcor said the industrial action resulted after the company and the MUN reached a deadlock in their negotiations over last year’s bonuses and the 13th cheques that were not paid.
“The matter was later referred to the Office of the Labour Commissioner which referred it back to us for further negotiations, but we could still not reach an agreement,” Pombili further explained.
The industrial action, according to some in the mining industry, will most likely also influence operations at the mine since it relies mainly on the machinery and manpower of Lewcor to carry out its daily operations.
The company has been urged to resolve the matter as soon as possible since negotiations for the sale of the mine are at a delicate stage and the industrial action could influence the negotiations.
“The potential sale of the Navachab mine is at a delicate stage and picketing of a third party may compromise the process,” said the Managing Director of Navachab, Johan Coetzee last week.
By Eveline de Klerk