Kuzeeko Tjitemisa
Windhoek-Namibia Financial Institution Union (Nafinu) general secretary Asnath Zamuee yesterday launched a bitter attack on National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) secretary-general Job Muniaro over his support for the closure of the SME Bank.
Zamuee, whose union represents some of the bank’s employees, labelled Muniaro’s support for the SME Bank’s closure as highly unacceptable.
“It’s with utter disgust and disbelief that we are writing this letter to your office. This action was necessitated by the extreme provocation from Muniaro who went public on various occasions stating that the SME Bank should be closed,” said Zamuee in the letter to the NUNW president Ishmael Kasuto yesterday.
Zamuee says this “nonsensical” position of NUNW was arrived at without any consultation with Nafinu as representative of the workers of SME Bank.
“We wish to put it on record that the conduct of your secretary-general is shameful, ill-informed and highly unacceptable. As a trade unionist, he should be concerned with the welfare of employees who will be left jobless,” she said in the letter.
“This is his primary responsibility for which he is paid,” added Zamuee.
She said if Muniaro has nothing else to do with his time, he should assist Shoprite workers who are subjected to extreme abuse, working long hours and who have received no support from the federation.
“It is unbelievable that workers’ issues aren’t at the forefront of your organisation, yet it’s a workers federation,” she said.
She said this conduct from the NUNW is highly suspicious and does not contribute positively in any way to the struggle of workers at the SME Bank who are left confused and angered by the current state of affairs.
“It’s not worth mentioning that the constitutional bodies of NUNW have not met to arrive at the position announced by your secretary general,” she said adding that they demand an explanation on this issue.
“We need to understand who gave Muniaro the authority and audacity to pronounce himself on this issue publicly in the absence of any directive from constitutional bodies,” she said.
Zamuee further warned the NUNW to refrain from conduct that can possibly bring disharmony within the NUNW family of unions.
Contacted for comment yesterday Muniaro acknowledged to have seen the letter but said he cannot comment on it since it was not addressed to him.
Meanwhile, Nafinu, which represents close to 200 workers at SME Bank, will be holding a peaceful demonstration against the closure of the bank.