WALVIS BAY – President of the Trade Union congress of Namibia (Tucna) Paulus Hango says that they will act on industries that have not yet introduced a minimum wage to its employees.
He says that they will also seek permission from members nationwide to pressure government for an overall minimum wage that has been long overdue.
Hango touched on the matter last week while announcing the fourth Tucna congress that will start today under the theme “Are trade unions keeping pace with the current transformative within the world that works?” in Walvis Bay.
The congress will focus on social protection, decent work, country programme, as well as Tucna’s own development policies in relation to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.
Discussions will also focus at the country’s unemployment rate and possible interventions, coordination and support among key stakeholders as well as slave wages that are still being paid by some sectors.
Hence Hango said that it is important to note that more needs to be done to improve the living conditions of low-earning workers.
According to him, some industries such as the retail sector continues to pay their employees slave wages while top managements and owners rake in millions of dollars.
He says currently, only domestic workers, security guards as well as the construction industry introduced a minimum wage.
However, Hango explained that employees in these sectors still remains the lowest paid with some making as little as N$1500, a salary that equals to their monthly rental fee.
“It is based on that, that we want government to set an overall minimum wage for ordinary Namibians to survive on. South Africa has set their minimum wage across all sectors and that is what we want for Namibians as well. Our people cannot survive on starvation wages that does not even have benefits,” he said.