2018-07-05Staff Report 2 Jeremiah Ndjoze and Selma Ikela WINDHOEK - Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) employees on Tuesday expressed a vote of no confidence in the company CEO Digu //Naobeb. They demand he must be charged for all acts of misconduct that workers accuse him of. During the demonstration on Tuesday, the workers also called on the Minister of Environment and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta, to dissolve the current Board and appoint new board members who will take NTB seriously.Employees expressed themselves through a petition read by the Workers Union Representative Committee (WURCOM) leader Theo Kamatoto, during a march and petition hand over to the NTB board. However, no one came to receive their petition. In the petition, the workers alleges there is lack of leadership at NTB, and the recent environment and tourism investigation report showed NTB lacked leadership but still reappointed the same CEO for the next five years. “There is a presence of oppressive leadership here that is not questionable and as a result reproducing tensions that is not conducive to a good working relationship,” Kamatoto read from the petition. He stated that NTB management is indecisive over issues caused by the hatred they have amongst themselves. Kamatoto said WURCOM and EXCO had a meeting on April 10,2018 to address internal grievances as directed by the board but no sign of visible progress is to be seen thus far. He further said there is no industrial peace and harmony within the institution. “There is no compliance with internal corporate policies such as recruitment, selection, procurement, affirmative action and many more. Unjust self-centred verdicts are made without consideration of staff interest as well as breaching of the recognition agreement between NTB and Namibia Public Workers Union (NAPWU).” Kamatoto added that the staff request that an investigation be carried out by SOE ministry or ACC on the CEO’s office account that is not being audited. He stated qualification of all NTB senior managers should be provided during the probe as the company suffers lack of leadership capabilities, visions and innovations. Workers said the next board members should be recruited from the tourism industry as those appointed “only came to serve their own interests and not those of the Namibian nation at large”. //Naobeb told New Era that workers want to be involved in every decision of the organisation, but management cannot be consulting with employees on every ‘little item’. //Naobeb added there are staff members going through a disciplinary procedure, yet they influenced executives and politicians to have their disciplinary stopped. “I am saying politicians are not involved in running day to day affairs of the organisation, its left to the executive and the board,” he remarked, adding that employees made themselves guilty and then alleges that there is lack of leadership and being victimised. The CEO explained nobody came to receive the petition because both parties were supposed to sit and engage in a dialogue and resolve the issues without industrial actions. NTB employees further alleges that the company is failing to come close to their demand for 10 percent salary increment, and is only offering 6 percent increment. They are demanding to receive at least 8 percent. //Naobeb said the demand for 8 percent was never put before management, as the employees through NAPWU, stood by the initial 10 percent, which resulted in the deadlock. He said the 10 percent demand, “is unreasonable in the current financial times”. “NTB is looking to ease the burden of its employees and offered 6 percent despite inflation being way below 4 percent. “It was agreed that the union will approach the Labour Commissioner on this matter, but the union appear to be backtracking and is now resorting to a peaceful demonstration mode which is tantamount to conducting this matter in bad faith.” 2018-07-05Staff Report 2
