2018-06-08Staff Report 2 Aron Mushaukwa KATIMA MULILO - Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) staff held a nationwide peaceful demonstration yesterday, demanding a six percent salary increment. In Zambezi Region, NBC employees for both radio and television, under the leadership of the Namibia Public Worker’s Union (NAPWU), marched from the public library to the broadcaster’s regional office, where they handed over their petition to the acting manager Simataa Buchane. In their petition to the NBC director general Stanley Similo, they said they are not happy with the management, the board of directors and government in particular, as “the lack of wage increment to workers has continued to put financial constrain to both our workers and the corporation.” Their cries have been falling on deaf ears as all the management does is give excuses, they charged. “For the past two years the management has been singing the same unpleasant song with different tunes that the cut in subsidy by the government has greatly paralysed and impacted the operations of the NBC, which has indirectly affected the workers’ increment to be implemented,” read the petition. The employees also stated that due to the financial constraints they are experiencing they work under enormous stress, which is affecting their productivity and livelihood. They also allege that “some NBC workers who took out loans which are deducted through the NBC as per current agreement… are facing legal actions, due to the non-payment of loans by NBC.” They further demand that a six percent increase be implemented immediately and be backdated to April 1, 2017. They also want NBC to “settle all accrued arrears and interest rates at all financial institutions by no later than the end of June”. “We further demand that during the July payroll all loan instalments be paid directly to our employees and for the employees to pay them directly to the respective financial institutions.” The group also charge that NBC has misplaced people in positions. “We demand that several NBC employees with outstanding academic accolades be rightfully placed in positions that speak to their qualifications, and be compensated accordingly, thus fair employment conditions must prevail.” The workers have given the management seven working days to respond to their demands, “otherwise we will have no option than to take unspecified and unfavourable actions especially to the government and switch off.” 2018-06-08Staff Report 2
