By Desie Heita
Windhoek
Mineworkers Union of Namibia suspended negotiations with Skorpion Zinc for a while on Monday afternoon after the mine dropped a bombshell by introducing a blanket condition that dashed hopes of signing the compromise agreement on salary and wage increment this week.
At the eleventh-hour the mine management introduced a new condition that the proposed offer given over the weekend is subject to the union co-signing the mine’s exemption application from the payment of overtime on Sundays and any other hour worked after the normal 12-hour shift.
Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) put the negotiations on hold to consult with all its members on the next step. Nevertheless, the negotiations resumed on Tuesday morning but this time focusing on the blanket conditions introduced by the mine.
The new twist in the process pushed out of the balance the advanced progress achieved over the weekend, where the union and the mine management exchanged settlement agreements for each party to pore over with the hope of signing on the doted line anytime during the week.
“We were only informed on Monday morning that the entire offer, and not only the issue of transport, is subjected to the condition that the union co-sign the application of exemption to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare,” said Michaelano Kadhikwa, branch chairman for the MUN in the south.
The weekend offer is of 12 percent increment in wages and salary and N$1??????’??