64 police officials complete training session

About 64 police officials from the Namibian Police Force recently completed a comprehensive training session on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 190.

This was announced in a media statement by Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relation and Employment Creation acting executive director Aune Mudjanima yesterday.

“The ILO 190 deals with the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work including volunteers, customers, as well as individuals exercising the authority, duties or responsibility of an employer, among others,” Mudjanima said.

The training, held from 26 to 28 June in Windhoek, was conducted by the ministry and highlights Namibia’s dedication to eradicating violence and harassment in the workplace.

She said these police officials have been trained as Change Agents.

This, according to Mudjanima, is with the purpose of further capacitating staff members to instil the dignity of employees and ensure a world of work free from violence and harassment.

“This training is part of Namibia’s ongoing efforts to implement the provisions of convention 190, which was ratified 9 December 2020, making it the third country globally and the first in Africa to do so.

The convention calls for the provision of guidance, resources, training and awareness-raising campaigns to combat violence and harassment in the world of work,” she said.

She added that to support the implementation of this convention, the ILO trained 15 Masters of Trainers in 2021, who have been instrumental in educating and empowering Change Agents across various sectors.

“Since 1 April 2022, these Masters of Trainers have successfully trained 321 Change Agents from different sectors of the economy, such as public service, security, wholesale, local and regional authorities, fishing and state-owned enterprises to name a few.

“The recent training for the Namibia Police Force is a vital part of this broader initiative. It covered aspects such as visioning a new work culture, understanding how power works, activating the power within the ministry of labour and working together to build a Namibia free from violence and harassment,” Mudjanima said.

Mudjanima said the training ensures that police officials are not only aware of the standards set by convention 190 but are also equipped with the knowledge and skills to apply these standards within their work environments.