Allexer Namundjebo
The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) has rejected planned retrenchments at the Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter, calling the move unjustified and procedurally flawed.
In a letter to the minister of industry, mines and energy, Natangue Ithete, MUN secretary general George Ampweya accused the company of bypassing due process and undermining Namibia’s commitment to job creation.
“We see these developments as a deliberate attempt to undermine the role of the union, promote precarious work, and perpetuate outsourcing practices that have already harmed job security,” said Ampweya.
He said the company’s human resources division has excluded the union from proper negotiations and is instead holding what he called “informal and irregular engagement processes”.
“These engagements, which exclude meaningful negotiations and disregard the provisions of our recognition and procedural agreements, violate both the spirit and the letter of the agreement entered into between the company and the union,” Ampweya wrote.
He said the union’s efforts to initiate structured talks were met with unilateral actions by Sinomine, reducing the union to a bystander.
He demanded that the company engage in formal negotiations under the recognition and procedural agreement, not through sessions led by HR staff.
“The union demands the immediate commencement of negotiations between the company’s leadership and the union leadership under the provisions of the recognition and procedural agreement (RPA) and not through HR-led sessions with no binding authority,” the letter reads.
MUN also requested a meeting with Minister Ithete before 13 June 2025 to discuss the matter.
Ampweya said job losses would have a heavy impact on workers, their families, and the broader Tsumeb community.
“We understand the company is facing financial challenges, but people must be the priority. The social and economic cost of mass unemployment, especially among semi-skilled and unskilled workers, will be far more damaging than any temporary business losses,” he said.
The retrenchment plans have also drawn concern from member of parliament Willem Amutenya.
Writing on social media, Amutenya said the developments are a blow to Tsumeb, the Oshikoto Region, and the entire country.
“The economic backbone of Tsumeb is the Dundee Smelter, alongside agricultural activity. It is shocking that the Chinese company, which recently acquired the smelter from a Canadian firm, is shutting down the processing plant, leaving over 400 young people jobless, despite earlier assurances that no jobs would be affected until 2027,” Amutenya wrote.
He also criticised the company’s voluntary separation packages. He said these have serious socio-economic consequences for workers with mortgages and vehicle loans.
“We must go back to the drawing board and find a sustainable way of balancing investor protection with the socio-economic welfare of employees. We cannot afford to create unemployment at a time when national efforts are focused on job creation,” he said.
Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter spokesperson Alina Garises confirmed last week that the company is under financial pressure and is taking cost-cutting steps, including layoffs.
Speaking to a local newspaper, Garises said Sinomine CEO Loggan Lou met with employees, government officials, and service providers to explain the company’s position.
Lou reportedly said rising smelting capacity in key copper-producing regions has created global overcapacity, which is affecting operations at the Tsumeb Smelter.
