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Namibia: Skorpion Strike Enters Second Week
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The Namibian (Windhoek)
19 May 2008
Posted to the web 19 May 2008
Luqman Cloete
A STRIKE at the Skorpion Zinc Mine in the South is set to continue into the second week after the union rejected a compromise offer from the company.
The strike was called when the union and company management reached deadlock on a long-standing wage dispute.
The workers are demanding a wage rise of 13 per cent and a housing allowance of N$1 900 a month.
Initially, they wanted a 14 per cent increase and a housing allowance of N$2 100.
The mine has upped its offer from 10 per cent to 12 per cent, plus a housing allowance of N$1 780.
The Rosh Pinah branch chairman of the Mineworkers' Union of Namibia (MUN), Michaeleno Kadhikwa, yesterday said workers were reluctant to accept the offer because it was attached to a condition that the workers sign a mandate to give the company a continuous operations status.
He said accepting the company's offer would automatically waive overtime payments for work on weekends and holidays.
Kaddhikwa said the condition attached to the offer would also affect a legal battle in the Labour Court on overtime payments.
"We are prepared to accept the offer, but the condition attached to it complicates things," he said.
Negotiations are expected to continue today.
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Attempts to get comment from the mine management proved futile.
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