Renthia Kaimbi
Beifang Mining Technical Services says there is no labour dispute at the Husab Mine and that operations have returned to normality.
Beifang said employees have returned to work after complying with a revised shift roster and that operations are proceeding normally.
This comes amid reports from employees at the mine who spoke on conditions of anonymity that workers are being suspended due to a new roster put in place.
“Employees have returned to work and operations are proceeding normally. There is no ongoing labour dispute,” the company said.
However, the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) says the suspensions are an act of intimidation that bypasses agreed labour processes.
MUN noted that the suspensions escalate a dispute triggered by a roster change implemented earlier this month.
“We view this action as a deliberate attempt to intimidate workers and the union and to circumvent orderly and lawful collective bargaining processes,” MUN general secretary George Ampweya said in a press release issued yesterday.
He said the recognition and procedural agreements set out clear steps for resolving disputes and that these were not followed.
“Management’s decision to precipitously resort to suspensions, instead of adhering to these agreed mechanisms, constitutes a direct undermining of those agreements,” the union said.
The union also said it was not formally notified of the suspensions.
“The Union, as the recognised sole bargaining agent for the affected employees, did not receive any formal ultimatum or notification regarding the alleged conduct of our members,” Ampweya said, adding that such notice is “a fundamental requirement” to allow lawful intervention.
“We will vehemently oppose any undue, procedurally flawed, or retaliatory disciplinary action taken against our members and will pursue all appropriate remedies available to us.”
The union is calling for the immediate lifting of the suspensions and a return to talks.
“We therefore call for the immediate withdrawal of all suspensions issued to our members and [for] the parties to immediately invoke the provisions of the recognition agreement,” the statement said.
The dispute follows earlier tension over roster changes and claims of unsafe working conditions.
MUN said it had previously directed members to comply with the new roster while the dispute process continued but said the suspensions mark a new escalation.
Meanwhile, the minister of justice and labour relations, Fillemon Wise Immanuel, called for calm and dialogue.
“Our call remains for peaceful resolutions of industrial disputes. This is on the basis that a workplace is an environment in which arrogance has no place, and the employment relationship is one in which compromise is the rule of the game,” he said.
Immanuel said the government sees dialogue as the best path forward.
“Social dialogue is and remains the most effective mechanism for resolution of industrial grievances,” he said.
He added that labour inspectors have been requested to attend to the matter.
“The occurrences at the mines have become candidates for compliance inspection. I have this afternoon (yesterday) requested the labour inspectors’ attendance thereto.”
