WINDHOEK - Telecom Namibia has signed a salaries and benefits agreement for 2018/19 with Namibia Public Workers Union (Nampwu) after days of tough negotiations. 
This agreement is effective from October 2018 until September 2019.

 In terms of the new agreement, unionised Telecom workers will get a basic salary increment, amounting to seven percent for all bargaining unit employees in the A to B job grades, six percent for C-lower grades, and five percent for C-upper and D-lower grades. At the same time, the transport allowance increased by N$150 per month for all the employees in the A Band to C-lower grade.

The housing allowance went up by N$200 per month for employees in the A Band to C-lower. In line with the housing policy, the rental allowance will increase by N$66 per month for all Telecom employees in the A Band to C-lower.
The housing qualifying limits increased by N$300 000, 00 (three hundred thousand Namibia Dollars) for employees in the A Band to D-Lower, according to Telecom Senior Manager for Corporate Communications, Oiva Angula.

The collateral for housing loan application remains at 25 percent of value. It was further agreed that the parties will meet at a further forum to discuss the shortage of affordable housing for employees in Namibia, and what Telecom can and should do.
The ratio of contributions toward the Medical Aid Fund remains at 67/33 between Employer and Employee, and that the medical aid contribution be taken up with Napotel Medical Aid Board.

The parties agreed to increase the daily rate of hotel stay to N$300 per day, and to increase the daily rate of private stay to N$450 per day.

The rate of daily allowance was increased to N$80 per day.
 An agreement to increase the normal rate of stand-by allowance to N$60-00 (sixty Namibia Dollars) per day was also reached. Finally, the parties agreed to increase the special rate of stand-by allowance to N$ 95 per day.