The National Housing Enterprise's workers are expected to embark on industrial action to force the board and management meet their demands as the collective bargaining process has deadlocked.
At a press briefing yesterday, Public Service Union of Namibia (PSUN) secretary general (SG), Matheus Haakuria explained a once-off payment of N$15 000 was agreed by the negotiating teams, and was part of the approved budget for 2021/22. However, he said NHE reversed the decision and refused to further engage the union.
This led the union to secure a certificate of unresolved dispute as issued by the office of the labour commissioner.
"During the 30-day window period, the workers revised the payment to N$10 000 and the board again declined. It indicated it will only consider the payment once NHE has provided audited financial statements for the financial year 2021/22. Our information is that the audited reports for 2019, 2020 and 2021 are still outstanding, so is unfair to talk of the 2022 audited report," said Haakuria.
According to him, the once-off payment originated after the union realised NHE is financially challenged to afford bonuses for their workers. The PSUN SG was quick to accuse the board of causing the deadlock at the housing enterprise.
Furthermore, Haakuria said voting for downing tools will commence today, across all NHE branches, before engaging workers on strike rules and announcement of the commencement of industrial action.
NHE is publicly funded, and is mandated to provide and finance affordable housing to Namibia's low-and middle-income earners.
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NHE management was reportedly engaged in an urgent meeting yesterday to resolve the matter.
"Should employees vote in favour of a strike, such actions will bring dire financial straits for the organisation. NHE is not in a position to affect any salary increment at the moment. The looming strike will only do more harm than good to the institution," stated NHE spokesperson, Tuafi Shafombabi.
NWR overtime saga
Meanwhile, at the same media briefing, the PSUN SG said the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) and Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) signed an agreement that allowed NWR not to pay overtime as a cost-saving measure until 31 October 2020, which was extended to 31 October 2021.
" E m p l o y e e s w e r e compensated through time off in lieu (TOIL), basically they are given time off for the hours worked instead of monetary reward," Haakuria added.
According to the union chief, NWR has not paid its employees any overtime up to date even though the agreement lapsed. He added that on 24 May 2022, NWR issued an internal notice for the commencement of overtime payments as of 1 November 2022 but emphasised no such payments have yet been made.
Haakuria said the company continues to disregard dialogue and does not consult workers.
"Our members have decided not to perform any overtime work unless they are paid accordingly for November and December 2022, and we are fully behind them," he stressed.
