WALVIS BAY - Namibian Seamen and Allied Workers Union (Nasawu) president Paulus Hango says the ministry of labour, along with the Office of the Labour Commissioner, should devise mechanisms that can speed up drawn-out disputes.

Hango made the observation yesterday during a press conference held at Walvis Bay to discuss the employment condition of fishing industry workers and the challenges they face.

He also says special judges should be appointed to precede over labour cases, as many of them presiding over such cases do not know handle labour cases.

“It can take up to five years for a labour dispute to be resolved in the labour court. Look at the Walvis Bay Stevedoring labour dispute that was already lodged on 15 August 2013. It has been six years and that case is yet to be resolved,” Hango said.

The unionist added that such lengthy labour disputes cannot be entertained anymore, as it places the workers at the receiving end, while some die whilst waiting for a judgment to be delivered on their cases.

Hango also raised his concern over the increase of unfair dismissals in the fishing industry, stating that many employers are firing employees without valid reasons or on bogus charges.

“They simply don’t care because they know there is a loophole in the system. For instance, some companies will fire employees before a judgment is delivered, which can be more than 3 months even,” a concerned Hango explained.

Hence, Hango says, the need for judges who can specifically work on labour cases is needed in the country to speed up the process for all stakeholders.