Nangula Shejavali
1 July 2009
BEFORE the ink even had a chance to dry at the signing of an agreement that saw an official end to the strike by employees at the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF), it was clear that many issues remain unresolved between the workers and the management and board of the fund.
The agreement, signed by the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) and the Namibia Financial Institutions Union (Nafinu) on behalf of the workers, and by GIPF management on behalf of the fund, saw the formalisation of an 11 per cent salary increase across the board, a 3 per cent increase in the employer's pension contribution, a N$150 increase in employees' travel allowance, and an increase to 70 per cent in the employer's contribution to medical aid.
But several issues still need to be hammered out, and in reiterating its call for overhaul of GIPF trustee-related expenses and the sacking of its chairperson, Hartmut Ruppel, the National Union of Namibian Workers has come down hard on its own.
'IN WHOSE INTEREST?'
At the signing yesterday, Evilastus Kaaronda, Secretary General of the NUNW, said that at GIPF and other parastatals, the interests of workers were being compromised by union leaders who also serve as board directors.
At GIPF, three union leaders - two from the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) and one from the Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu), both NUNW-affiliated unions - serve on the board of directors.
Among these, Napwu General Secretary, Petrus Nevonga, also doubles as the chair of the Human Resources Committee in his capacity as a Trustee at GIPF, bringing him in direct conflict with the workers who held an eight-day strike for better employment packages.
According to Nafinu, GIPF trustees are paid in excess of N$1 100 per sitting hour, plus an additional 30 minutes per sitting hour for meeting preparation.
"If they are being paid directly, the likelihood of compromising them is conspicuous," Kaaronda stated, questioning whether the "benefits and rewards" that the union leaders receive as trustees made them impartial as union leaders in representing the interests of the institution's employees.
But Nevonga says the opinion that there is a conflict of interest in his conduct is "highly incorrect" and that those expressing such an opinion "don't know what they are talking about".
Nevonga told The Namibian last week that "I am representing the interests of the members of GIPF, who are members of Napwu, with the duty to ensure that their benefits are guaranteed," he said.
He pointed out that the Fund's employees belong to a separate union - the Namibia Financial Institutions Union (Nafinu), also a NUNW-affiliated union - and that Napwu does not bargain for GIPF's employees, but for public workers.
Napwu bargains for workers in the public sector, including workers in Government agencies and organisations, parastatals, and local authorities.
According to Nevonga, "GIPF is not a parastatal".
Nafinu, on the other hand, represents workers in the financial sector, including those in the banking, insurance and pension fund industries, such as the workers of GIPF, for whom it serves as the bargaining unit.
Nevonga noted that in representing workers, the unions "do not cross each other", adding that "you won't find members of Napwu under (the employ) of GIPF".
"Whether or not they (Nafinu) are bargaining correctly is another issue," Nevonga said.
But when asked whether, in his capacity as a union leader, he felt that Nafinu is "bargaining correctly", Nevonga referred questions to the Fund's CEO, saying that the Board of Trustees is represented by management, and that management would be able to speak on the issue.
Kaaronda posited that in solving the issue of interests, if union leaders serve as Trustees, their payment should be made directly to the union, which at its own discretion, should decide how much of that amount should go to the union leader/trustee for his/her work in representing the rights of the institution's employees.
Primus Hango, CEO of the GIPF, said that from the Fund's point of view, "we don't care how trustees come on the board from the tripartite nomination, but once they are on the board, they represent the fund and work in the interests of the growth of the fund for the sake of its members."
Three trustees are selected by the unions, three by the Public Service Commission, and three by the Office of the Prime Minister, forming the tripartite board structure.
UNRESOLVED
Aside from the union leadership dilemma, other unresolved issues that emerged at the signing were the payment of employees for the days that they were on strike, which has now been taken for arbitration; allegations of fraud made against the General Manager for Human Resources; issues regarding the movement of staff to the GIPF's Kuleni Fund; the size of the fees and salaries of trustees and management; and the investigation and sacking of the board's chairperson.
Responding to questions from the press on the issue of trustee and management salaries, which the NUNW has described as "obese", Hango said that "we will answer publicly (on those issues) as we were slandered publicly."
nangula@namibian.com.na
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