WALVIS BAY – Fired, expelled or resigning fishermen will no longer benefit from the governmental employment redressing programme more than once, as it is unsustainable.
This was announced by fisheries minister Derek Klazen, who held several meetings on Friday with unions, industry players and the labour ministry regarding the re-employment of over 1 000 fishermen through the latest attempt.
The fishermen are expected to take up employment soon, with their first salaries expected to be paid end of this month.
This latest attempt comes after last year’s mass resignation of fishermen who were employed through a joint venture by Cavema Fishing.
In response, a Parliamentary standing committee of the National Assembly was dispatched to Erongo to investigate the issue, leading to the streamlining of the entire process.
Mincing no words, Klazen said government has done everything to re-employ the fishermen after their mass resignation and
will no longer present new opportunities to them if they neglect the current efforts of government. Seven companies were selected to employ the fishermen in the latest attempt and quotas will be allocated in the coming weeks to the fishing companies.
“The process is draining and also not desirable but the Swapo government is a very caring government and that is why we relooked the whole process. There is no room for returning once you are out this time around, therefore, we hope that this will be the last time we carry out this exercise,” Klazen assured.
Cabinet approved Helgoland Fishing, Trilliant Investment, Iyaloo Women Investment, Rakutuka Investment, Alhuhe Fishing, and Namfi Fishing Movebaai joint venture to employ the fishermen.
He stated that the companies have received letters indicating their allocated quotas, and they will also be able to start paying salaries by the end of this month.
Klazen then clarified that quotas will not be allocated to individual fishermen, but rather to the fishing companies, in order to dispel the current impression that fishermen can take their quotas with them when they resign.
“The facts are that the fishing quota remains the property of the government and once a worker resigns, dies, retires, or gets dismissed, the fishing quota will return to the government,” Klazen said.
Now referred to as the Okapale fishermen, the group in question lost their jobs in 2015 aboard numerous fishing vessels due to their participation in an illegal industrial strike.
They also include those who were laid off from Namsov and those who lost their employment after being abandoned by two fishing vessels operated by controversial Icelandic company Samherji, namely Saga and Geysir in 2020.
– edeklerk@nepc.com.na