2016-01-27Staff Report 2 Windhoek Namibian National Labour Organisation (Nanlo) membership has increased significantly as at least 13 000 new members joined the federation towards the end of last year. Nanlo president Evilastus Kaaronda yesterday said last year, the federation had a total of 8 000 paid up members and three affiliated unions, which fall within the ambit of the new labour federation. Formed in 2013, Kaaronda said the federation is growing fast, with three affiliates that currently represent over 21 000 paid-up member. A former National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) secretary general, Kaaronda said close to the end of last year the union received 8 000 new members from within the public service. Kaaronda set up Nanlo after he and the then NUNW president Elias Manga were dismissed by the NUNW in 2012 without any disciplinary hearing. Prior to his dismissal, Kaaronda was vocal in calling on the union and political leadership to act against corruption. One such case that he was vocal about involved N$650 million invested by the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) that could not be recovered. Last year Nanlo represented train drivers and their assistants during a wildcat strike at TransNamib. Workers had downed tools at TransNamib’ s Walvis Bay depot, citing slave-like salaries, insufficient insurance policies and the absence of danger allowance. The federation also represented the striking fishermen in their strike late last year. The striking fishermen are members of the Metal, Mining, Maritime and Construction Union (MMMC), an affiliate of Nanlo. 2016-01-27Staff Report 2
