Nascam Faces Internal Strife

… Employees demand fair treatment amid contract disputes

Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (Nascam) employees and the organisation are at loggerheads over alleged unfair treatment and new employment contracts.

According to a letter addressed to the organisation’s board of directors in June this year, employees are demanding an in-depth discussion surrounding their new employment contracts, which they say they were forced to sign.

“Over the past months, there have been growing concerns among employees regarding various aspects including and not limited to new employment contracts. Employees were forced to sign changed contracts without proper negotiations,” the letter reads.

The employees accused the board of issuing new roles to them without consultation, and are also aggrieved about the removal of a 13th cheque and medical aid.

“The sudden removal of medical aid has negatively impacted the employees’ well-being and health security,” they stated. The group also said they have been offered unpaid leave despite being eligible for annual leave.

“We are really just tired of this new board. It needs to be removed with immediate effect because ever since they took over, the organisation has not been the same,” says one of the employees anonymously.

According to the employee, the issues at work have affected the distribution of royalties to Nascam members, as some have not yet received their funds.

Nascam’s role is to collect royalties for its 8 064 member artists, in terms of the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Protection Act of 1994, which is aimed at protecting and promoting copyright and ensuring fair numeration.

“Usually, artists get their money in December, but last year we were told that they will be getting their funds in January, but up to now only half of the beneficiaries have been paid,” the employee says.

Another employee says they have been enduring threats from management about losing their jobs should they not adhere to the new chain of command.

“If you don’t do what you are told to do, you are told to rather leave. We have a colleague who is currently on suspension for refusing to sign the contract. Is that really fair?” the employee asks.

Questioned about the allegations and the letter, Nascam chief executive Albert Nicanor says the letter was received and the matter is being dealt with internally.

He referred the publication to the board of directors for further queries.

“The purported letter in question was directed to the board, and as such, it falls outside the scope of my authority. Nascam adheres to a strict organisational structure,” he says.

“It is our policy to maintain the confidentiality of such matters, and there are established internal procedures for addressing them. Therefore, even if I was in a position to answer them, I am not at liberty to discuss these topics,” Nicanor says.

Responding to questions sent via email, Nascam board chairperson Sula Kyababa says the specifics of the matter are internal and administrative.

“I don’t think it’s right to disclose information or respond to questions until the board has officially addressed the issue. We are committed to transparency and accountability and at the right time, the board will provide a comprehensive response based on the established organisational procedures,” Kyababa says.

He says the board is aware of the letter and is committed to maintaining open and transparent communication with the staff.

“I am not sure why these employees chose anonymity and the reason they have sought the intervention of the board of directors in what appears to be an administrative matter, which is the subject matter we have to consider. We acknowledge receipt of the letter mentioned in your inquiry, in which employees have requested a meeting to discuss their concerns,” he says.

Speaking at Nascam’s open day in January this year, Nicanor mentioned that the organisation has been operating without policies for 26 years.

In the same breath, he said most employees had signed employment contracts in place and circumstances surrounding those with purported employment contracts are not entirely clear, resulting in possibilities that some individuals may have altered their employment contracts and were receiving remuneration never approved by the board.

“We are not the one who had drawn up those contacts. How were they not approved by the board? Now they just came and changed things without even informing us and explaining in detail why certain benefits are being removed. How will we know?” an employee said after questioning the alleged irregularities in the old contracts provided to them.

Currently, Nascam has 11 employees.

Speaking at the same event in January, Kyababa supported Nicanor’s sentiments, saying that more than ten boards led the organisation in the past, without implementing any policies.

This, he said, has led the current board to decide to stop annual bonuses and instead introduce a performance management system, to help the organisation to evaluate employees’ performance objectively and provide them with constructive feedback on how to improve their skills and achieve Nascam’s goals.

The new board was elected in April 2022, with Knowledge Ipinge, who was re-elected, Steven Naruseb, Erna Chimu, Sula Kyababa, Dice Lutete, McDonald Vihanga and Elvo Diergaardt as members.

The issues between the board and employees have been ongoing since 2022, with another report mentioning the alleged bullying and sidelining of employees at Nascam.

On whether any meeting was scheduled between employees and the board after the letter was sent, one of the employees last week said there was an announcement made that there will no longer be annual meetings.

According to the organisation’s constitution, at least four meetings shall be held annually while annual reports should be submitted.