WALVIS BAY – Fisheries minister Derek Klazen and labour minister Utoni Nujoma yesterday finally addressed concerns and complaints raised by fishermen over the Governmental Employment Re-Dressing Programme (GERP).
Despite the numerous complaints by the fishermen, the two ministers in the past only met with their committee members, but decided to now face the issue head-on.
Klazen said this is one of the many meetings being held to ensure smoother operations and sound labour relations.
Holding a thick blue file in the air while addressing the fishermen, he stated: “This is your petition that reached our offices”.
He observed that it is important to give clarity against growing misleading utterances, which are falsely assuring all ex-fishermen of jobs at sea. “It is simply not possible to re-employ all ex-fishermen aboard fishing vessels because their previous jobs aboard fishing vessels have been taken over by other Namibians, following their separation from their previous employers. This is in part the reason why most of those employed under the GERP do not all have physical work for their hands now, and continue to receive a monthly salary while outside the premises of their respective employers,” he added.
A Cabinet decision in 2020 directed the two ministries to secure full-time employment for former Namsov employees, and those who lost their jobs during the 2015 illegal strike.
Hence, the GERP was created, through which 550 fishermen were employed in the horse mackerel sub-sector, and 1 933 in the hake sub-sector.
Following the programme, fishermen have been resigning and petitioning the two ministries over employment conditions, with many insisting on jobs on fishing vessels as they are fishermen.
However, Klazen last month said the GERP programme is not sustainable in the long run, given that fishing resources, particularly hake, were diminishing.
He added that the programme has encountered several challenges, some of which were genuine, while others appear to be superfluous and unduly influenced by political opportunism, personal gratification, conflicts and other dubious interests.
“As we convene today, I would like to stress that the government, through the two ministries, is not an adversary, but a reliable partner and initiator of this whole process. I would further like to emphasise that this programme was established to provide dignity and sustenance to the affected ex-fishermen. The intention in creating this programme was not to undermine or oppose the very individuals whose livelihoods is our commitment,” the politician stressed.
Sound relations
Holding the Namibian Constitution in one hand, Nujoma told the fishermen that they have been trying to resolve the complex disagreements which exist between the employers and employees.
“Today, we have the opportunity to listen and to have a constructive engagement, and to listen to what solutions you have. Maybe you may come up with some solutions because our interest is to protect the workers’ rights, to make sure that, as stated in Article 95 of our Constitution, it talks about the promotion of the welfare of the people.
It also says we must protect the workers’ interests, and ensure that the workers receive decent salaries and decent living conditions. That is what is provided for in our Constitution. That’s why, when there are problems, it is our duty to lead the workers and employers to try and find an amicable solution,” he said.
At the same time, he reminded the fishermen that Namibian fish stocks are declining, and that they need to take that into consideration while discussing the issues around their employment.
Nujoma said the government was extremely worried when 800 workers were dismissed, and decided it could not allow Namibians to suffer.
“That is why the minister was given the task through the redress programme so that those who were dismissed through the illegal strike could at least have jobs.
We would like to hear from you today, because we have received the petitions. We want to hear from you what solutions you propose because if we keep on going with dissatisfaction among ourselves and a lack of consultation, it will not help us,” he reiterated.
Discussions between the parties then took place behind closed doors.
-edeklerk@nepc.com.na