WINDHOEK – The Namibia Fishing Industry and Namibia Food Allied Workers Union yesterday met Prime Minister Hage Geingob and representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in an effort to iron out long-standing issues of overtime payment for sea-going fishermen, as well as the abolition of employing temporary workers in the industry.
Yesterday’s meeting was preceded by a brief visit by the union leaders to Geingob on Tuesday, to brief the Prime Minister of their grievances on the non-ending negotiations over the issues with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
“Most sea workers have been employed for over 15 years without a permanent job and still receive a salary in an envelope,” Immanuel Petrus, of Namibia Fishing Industry (NFI), told the Prime Minister on Tuesday. Geingob promised to look into the matter with urgency.
In the meeting was also Matthias Ndeulita of Namibia Food Allied Workers Union (NAFAU), who together with NFI, said fishermen do not receive overtime while working more than 10 hours per day, instead getting a commission of N$2 per tonne of fish caught.
Petrus said the earnings for sea-going workers does not even allow the fishermen to qualify for a low-income house, as they are paid less than N$6 000 required for consideration in the low-income housing scheme.
The Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Alpheus Muheua, who also attended the Tuesday meeting acknowledged the problem, while pointing out that the “biggest problem on the issue of overtime is that there is no labour law or act that stipulates sea workers can get a specified overtime wage.”
Muheua cautioned trade union members not to fight the law but instead to work together with government in finding the best solution. He moaned the fact that boat owners, who employ the fishermen, are reluctant to discuss the matter with the ministry.