Tsumeb
The elected committee of the Mine Workers Union of Namibia’s (MUN) Northern Regions branch was urged to exercise its utmost perseverance in the work it does as the positions to be held require sacrifice of personal time and resources for the goodwill of the union.
Committee members were further cautioned that if they are unable to put in extra effort for the smooth operation of the union, then they are not suitable for the positions and should consider other avenues. These were remarks made by MUN President Raimo Ausiku during the biennial conference.
“I encourage you all that taking the throne as a chairperson requires walking an extra mile and requires a lot of sacrifices, because a leader should be an example – therefore you have to be strong and willing to use your resources sometimes at no cost. This is for the union to remain strong and operational as it has been in the past,” urged Ausiku.
In support of this was the MUN’s former president, Jacob Nghifindaka, who reiterated that the new leadership should serve with passion and in line with the established trade union principles and statutes of the organization.
“We must have realistic ambitions and must all be able to climb the ladder progressively, and not try to misuse the structures of this noble institution as a stepping stone to satisfy your own personal egos, whether political or economical,” stressed Nghifindaka.
The unionists were further advised to step up their leadership skills by catching up with the latest trends in the market so that they can embrace necessary skills to enable them to defend the rights and interests of members.
“Work in the world is getting more sophisticated and competitive day by day – as such without proper training in socio-economic issues brought about by technological advancement together with global economic challenges, we will not cope. The people you will be negotiating with are well educated and intelligent so they will try and use all sorts of mechanisms and terminologies to confuse you, that’s why you need to learn and be on the same page,” Nghifindika warned.