Novanam workers suspended

A UNION representing fisheries workers at Luderitz was on Friday trying frantically to reverse the suspension of at least 300 workers from the Novanam factory.

According to Paulus Hango, President of the Namibia Seamen and Allied Workers’ Union (Nasawu), the company continued to lock out workers who protested against a junior manager. The protest began after a supervisor was killed by a colleague on the production floor.The workers blamed poor labour relations at Novanam.They alleged the firm used supervisors as a buffer between management and workers.Hango said the company had misled the court to obtain an interdict directing some workers to stop intimidation and to end what Novanam perceived to be an illegal strike.”They are trying to mislead the nation.The workers have been willing to return to work, and nobody intimidated anyone.The company is the one that continues to lock out our people.We are asking them to open the gates so that workers can go back to work.”Hango said his union, which is the officially recognised negotiator, was preparing court action.Novanam is only expected to open again next week while the union and management negotiate an end to the impasse.Hango said they expected the Ministries of Labour and Fisheries to intervene today.The protest began after a supervisor was killed by a colleague on the production floor.The workers blamed poor labour relations at Novanam.They alleged the firm used supervisors as a buffer between management and workers.Hango said the company had misled the court to obtain an interdict directing some workers to stop intimidation and to end what Novanam perceived to be an illegal strike.”They are trying to mislead the nation.The workers have been willing to return to work, and nobody intimidated anyone.The company is the one that continues to lock out our people.We are asking them to open the gates so that workers can go back to work.”Hango said his union, which is the officially recognised negotiator, was preparing court action.Novanam is only expected to open again next week while the union and management negotiate an end to the impasse.Hango said they expected the Ministries of Labour and Fisheries to intervene today.