Cold Storage strike over

A TWO-WEEK strike that brought all activity at the only cold storage facility in the Walvis Bay harbour to a complete standstill ended on Africa Day when the union and company signed an agreement on salary increases for the year.

The 38 workers of Commercial Cold Storage, who had been camping outside the cold storage on the harbour quay for 14 days, resumed work yesterday. The strike was organised following a deadlock reached over salary and benefit negotiations between the company and the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (Natau).On Tuesday, the two parties signed an agreement that provides for increases of 11, 10 and nine per cent in the different job categories, as well as a N$15 per month increase in the housing allowance.According to John Uushona, regional organiser of Natau in Erongo, the company approached the workers on Monday with their offer of a 0.5 per cent increase on their previous offer, which had lead to the deadlock.Uushona told The Namibian it was further agreed to backdate the increases to January 1.The company also agreed to pay workers for five days of the strike, instead of further increasing the annual salary.”The company undertook to investigate our demand for better medical care,” said Uushona.This would be done by looking at what other companies are offering their employees.The medical benefit will form part of the next round of negotiations to start in October again.The strike prevented fish from going in or out of the store for the period.NamPort indicated it was losing money since no ships were coming into the harbour to off-load fish, while the mid-water trawler section of the fishing industry could not supply their customers for the duration of the strike.The General Manager of Commercial Cold Storage, Willie Venter, could not be reached yesterday as he would only be back at work on Monday, but a company representative confirmed that an agreement had been signed and everything was back to normal by yesterday.The strike was organised following a deadlock reached over salary and benefit negotiations between the company and the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (Natau).On Tuesday, the two parties signed an agreement that provides for increases of 11, 10 and nine per cent in the different job categories, as well as a N$15 per month increase in the housing allowance.According to John Uushona, regional organiser of Natau in Erongo, the company approached the workers on Monday with their offer of a 0.5 per cent increase on their previous offer, which had lead to the deadlock.Uushona told The Namibian it was further agreed to backdate the increases to January 1.The company also agreed to pay workers for five days of the strike, instead of further increasing the annual salary.”The company undertook to investigate our demand for better medical care,” said Uushona.This would be done by looking at what other companies are offering their employees.The medical benefit will form part of the next round of negotiations to start in October again.The strike prevented fish from going in or out of the store for the period.NamPort indicated it was losing money since no ships were coming into the harbour to off-load fish, while the mid-water trawler section of the fishing industry could not supply their customers for the duration of the strike.The General Manager of Commercial Cold Storage, Willie Venter, could not be reached yesterday as he would only be back at work on Monday, but a company representative confirmed that an agreement had been signed and everything was back to normal by yesterday.