Renthia Kaimbi
Beifang workers at the Rössing Uranium Mine say they are forced to eat in dusty pits and inside mining equipment without proper lunch breaks.
This is as a result of a three-year exemption granted by former labour minister Utoni Nujoma to Beifang Mining Technologies. The exemption has sparked outrage and raised health concerns at the mine.
In July 2023, Nujoma declared Beifang’s operations at Rössing as continuous operations.
The declaration, which took effect on 1 August 2023 and runs until 31 July 2026, suspended normal lunch break provisions for mining and plant employees.
The exemption directed the mine to ensure that employees work shifts no longer than eight hours and comply with other labour laws.
Under the Labour Act of 2007, workers are entitled to a one-hour meal break after five hours of work, or at least 30 minutes if agreed.
The minister’s declaration changed this to a conditional rest period based on the shift roster.
Workers say this decision has created harsh conditions on the ground.
They report eating in the open pit, surrounded by dust and heavy machinery, with no clean or dedicated break areas.
Justice and labour relations minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel told the Windhoek Observer on Monday that the law on meal intervals is clear and that any company not complying is violating the law.
“In fact, I will direct the matter to the labour directorate so they can take this matter up,” said Immanuel.
Rössing’s communications manager Daylight Ekandjo said the company could not comment on Beifang employees as they are not employed by Rössing, and directed questions to Beifang.
Beifang operations manager George Murasiki disagreed with the minister, saying the clauses on meal intervals do not apply to continuous operations.
When asked about the exemption’s rest-period requirement, Murasiki said the minister’s decision was unlawful and directed enquiries to the mine’s human resources department.
Miners said they raised the issue in a petition and again in July to the parliamentary standing committee on poverty eradication, labour and industrial relations.
The committee’s chairperson, Justina Jonas, declined to comment until the parliamentary report is complete.
Western regional coordinator for the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN), Gift Katjiuanjo, said the union has raised concerns with the Labour Commissioner’s office.
He said the exemption was granted without the consent of the union and workers and that the conditions are being renegotiated.
“The consent of the employees is key to whether an exemption should be granted or not. In the absence of lunch hours, employees are then supposed to be compensated for that hour. We would never allow an application to proceed whereby employees are prejudiced to a point where they are not getting their lunch hours,” he said.
Katjiuanjo said Beifang’s operations at both Rössing and Husab face similar labour challenges.
He said the union has observed that some contracting mining companies attach consent forms to job offers and later use them to mislead the ministry when applying for exemptions.
He asserted that Beifang should adhere to the same standard as other mining companies, such as Swakop Uranium, which compensate miners for their lunch hours.
