Poco-Key Mberiuana
Union membership is not just a legacy of Namibia’s past—it is a living force for jus:ce, dignity, and economic empowerment today. As Namibia continues to confront inequality, unemployment, and the pressures of a globalised economy, the role of trade unions remains as vital as ever.
It can be argued that the founda:ons of the Namibian organised labour movements were the spark that ignited the flames of the libera:on movement in this country. The existence of labour movements, that were inclusive of black workers, can be traced back to as early as 1924, where the first recorded organised indigenous trade unions were reportedly established in Lüderitz. Two of the central organisa:ons was the Universal Negro Improvement Association and a Cape Coloured Insitution known as the Interna:onal and Commercial workers Union.
At the time, trade union movements were created exclusively for whites as the colonial South African government opposed the emancipation of the black labour force. A pivotal milestone in the Namibian labour movement was the founding of the Ovamboland People’s Congress (OPC) on 2 August 1957 at a barbershop owned by a Namibian in Green Point, Cape Town. The OPC was established to fight for the rights of migrant workers against the exploitative South West African Na:ve Labour Associa:on (SWANLA), a labour contracting organisation that recruited many Namibians from northern Namibia to work on farms and mines at the time. Workers in the Namibian compounds responded well to the OPC as it became the only structured organisa:on that addressed their concerns of poor treatment, substandard working conditions and frequent human rights abuses.
The OPC quickly understood that the issues of racial oppression faced by migrant workers could not be divorced from the Namibian na:onalist movement slowly building momentum and sought allegiances with other like-minded organisa:ons such as the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Congress of Democrats (COD) and the South African Communist Party (SACP).
The OPC became the ideological forerunner to the Ovamboland Peoples Organisation (OPO) which was established on 19 April 1959 by the late Founding Father, His Excellency Dr. Sam Nujoma along with Jacob Kuhangua, Louis Nelengani, Emil Appolus and Lucas Haleinge Nepela in Old Location, Windhoek. OPO’s central aim was to abolish the contract labour system and demand for political, social and economic emancipation of the people. These demands were expanded into a liberation movement and in 1960, the establishment of the South-West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO).
Namibia contract workers formed a central component of SWAPO in the party’s formative years. Following SWAPO’S consulta:ve congress in Tanga, Tanzania, in 1969/70, several new departments were established within the party, including a Labour Department. This department was to focus on training trade unionists under the name of the Na:onal Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) which was established in exile on the 24th April in 1970.
Another pivotal milestone in the labour movement was the SWAPO linked nationwide contract labour strike that took place between December 1971 to January 1972. In June 1971, the International Court of Jus:ce declared that the South African control of Namibia was unlawful which led to universal strike action across the country. The unifying demands made by 15 000 to 20 000 strikers included: “free choice in location of employment, better wages according to qualifications and abilities, the right to terminate an unwanted and too-low paid contract, as well as freedom to search for a new assignment without action by the police; permission to take family members to the place of work, and the unconditional right to visit or be visited”.
On January 19 1972, the United Nations Council for Namibia declared that the contract labour system violated the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights and after two days of government-striker negotiations in Groogontein, the South African government officially abolished the contract labour system. Concessions included new regula:ons which allowed laborers to apply for jobs at labour decentralised labour contract bureaus in the north; workers could also choose their jobs and were paid based on the type of work and individual contracts; both laborers and employers could end the contract at any :me and employers had to provide free medical care.
In 1985, a group of workers assembled at the Catholic Church in Katutura and formed the Workers Action Committee (WAC). Similarly, the South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) began organising workers at Namibia’s Consolidated Diamond Mines (CDM) and Rössing Uranium Ltd. These workers merged with the Workers Ac:on Committee (WAC) and formed the Rössing Mineworkers Union in April 1986 and later became the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN).
By the time Namibia gained independence in 1990, the NUNW unions such as the MUN were a formidable force amongst grassroots organisations. They enjoyed huge support and played a critical role in ensuring SWAPO’s victory in Namibia’s first democracy elections held in 1989.
While Namibia has made significant strides since independence, the challenges facing workers remain. Unemployment, especially among the youth, the high cost of living, informal employment, and job insecurity threaten the well-being of families across the country. Many workers still face low wages, poor working conditions, and in:mida:on in the workplace. The history of Namibia shows that when workers unite, they can break the chains of oppression and shape the destiny of the nation.
Namibia’s commitment to upholding labour rights is a cornerstone of its democracy principles and social justice. Contemporary challenges faced by the mining industry include the outsourcing of mining operations, that effect the remunera:ons and working conditions of workers. Sub-contractors for mining houses providing short-term fixed contracts for their workers, disadvantages workers from benefits that would improve their livelihoods and that of broader Namibian society. The MUN leadership is hard at work with the Government, in order for the above practice to be discontinued/ effectively addressed in support of our members and workers at large. The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN), through its efforts, will continue to strive for the well-being and prosperity of our membership. Aluta Continua!
*Poco-Key Mberiuana is the president of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN).
