RCC workers threaten strike over pay

ROADS Contractor Company (RCC) employees in Windhoek yesterday protested against the parastatal’s management and vented their frustration at not having received salary increases in the last three years.

The workers staged a demonstration on the company premises during their lunch hour. They delivered a petition with all their grievances to Human Resources Manager Rodney Kuiseb.The same workers marched to the offices of the Namibia Public Workers’ Union (Napwu) two weeks ago, threatening to withdraw their membership and charging that the union had failed to represent their interests.A spokesperson for the workers, Jabes Fillipus, said the workers would give the company 19 days to respond, after which they would down tools.The workers are demanding a 20 per cent pay increase, as well as a N$700 transport allowance.Another demand is that the company provide answers about the loss of about N$2 million in a botched equipment purchasing deal.The money was paid upfront to a South African company, Pabodzi, for construction equipment that was never received. That company has since disappeared without a trace.The workers also called on the company to quit working with consultants from Namibia and Zambia, to reduce the number of managers, and to register all company staff with a single pension fund, claiming these factors were unnecessarily eating into the company’s profits.’We’re only about one per cent of the total workforce, but be assured workers in the rest of the country are aware of our actions, and are supportive,’ Fillipus said.