Labour minister urges mining sector to mitigate job losses

The minister of labour and employment creation, Utoni Nujoma, has urged the mining industry to negotiate contractual provisions that can mitigate the impact of job losses resulting from mine closures or retrenchments.

Nujoma made the call on Friday during an elective congress of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) under way at Ongwediva.

Nujoma said: “Given the volatile nature of the international market for certain minerals and the concerns of workers over job security, I would encourage your industry to negotiate contractual provisions that can mitigate the impact of retrenchments or mine closures before such are on the horizon.”

Nujoma also called on trade unions to resolve labour disputes without involving his office.

He said he has on numerous occasions had MUN branch leaderships approaching him with requests to get involved in wage negotiations and conditions of employment or labour grievances, as a means to apply pressure on employers.

“At times, an employer has approached me to get involved to put pressure on their employees. To the extent that I or my predecessors acquiesced, I think we made a mistake. Absent extraordinary circumstances, it is not the function of the minister or deputy minister to mediate labour disputes, particularly not at the request of only one of the parties, whether a trade union or an employer,” said Nujoma.