WALVIS BAY – Fishery observers will receive a 7 percent salary increment to be spread over 2013 to 2014.
The salary increase to be spread over the 2013 to 2014 fiscal year will be backdated to April 01, 2013. The Fisheries Observer Agency (FOA) and the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) reached agreement last week in Walvis Bay after lengthy negotiations, which started earlier this year. The salary increment settlement comes after about 100 fisheries observers staged a peaceful demonstration calling for intervention by the Minister of Fisheries to resolve matters at the troubled agency.
According to the agreement copied to New Era the two parties agreed that the fisheries observers’ transport allowance of N$350 will be increased to N$415 for all employees in the affected bargaining unit. Employer contributions to the pension fund will also go up from 4 percent to 16 percent, while the observers will also receive a N$130 danger allowance for every day that they spent at sea. Furthermore, the agreement stipulates that a discomfort allowance shall be paid for every day spent at sea on board vessels identified by a discomfort committee. The amount shall be 30 percent of the applicable danger allowance rate.
The long-awaited salary structure will also be implemented and those positions currently below the minimum provided for in the structure will be brought to the minimum and an additional 4 percent will be added to the basic salary of those employees. However, the two parties decided to refer the public holiday and Sunday payment dispute to the office of the Labour Commissioner. Fisheries observers expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the wage negotiations, and said the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Bernard Esau also attended the signing of the wage agreement last week in Walvis Bay.
The observers also said that they were notified that the board of directors of the FOA has already been appointed and will be made public in due course. Observers accompany fishing vessels to sea to observe and record data on marine resources harvesting, the collection and recording of biological data on harvested species, and collect samples of harvested marine species.
By Eveline de Klerk