By: Justicia Shipena, Hilma Tuukondjele, Annakleta Haikera
After five years since teachers overwhelmingly voted to go on a strike in 2016 following an 8 per cent salary increase impasse with the government, teachers, this time along with other government workers, have once again returned to the polls.
Thousands of employees in the public sector across the country joined the queues on Thursday, with many happily hinting that they were in favour of a strike. Although the representing union has not set a strike date yet, the polling stations, which opened on Thursday, have seen many who have spoken to The Villager, hoping to get a green-lit after the votes.
The two bargaining unions, the Namibia National Teachers’ Union (Nantu) and Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu), are commissioning this balloting process, which concludes on Friday. The two unions reached a deadlock for a 10 per cent pay raise across the board.
In the Kavango East region, Marcellus Haivera, a teacher at Siguruguru Senior Primary School, told The Villager that government has no excuse not to increase the teachers’ and civil servants’ salaries.
“The option can be that they can get money from all the taxes that we are paying during our birthday months, and when one dies, you are being taxed, and even during retirement, we are being taxed. If the government is saying they don’t have money to increase our salaries, then they should weight the tax, they can get 30 per cent, and the rest we get [sic] it ourselves.”
Haivera further said that everything is expensive, people are depressed and hungry, and some live in poverty due to high debts.
“These are the teachers that you are refusing to give increasements. How will they even perform good results if they are not happy with what they are getting?” he asked.
Haimbili Jonathan, a teacher at Elias Neromba Senior Secondary School in Rundu, said he was at the polls due to the high living standards as everything became expensive.
“All the voting stations were full with teachers casting their votes in all Kavango East 8 Constituencies.
Many of the employees who turned up at the various voting stations in the country were educators who expressed frustration over the cost of living not matching their income.
A teacher who chose not to be named expressed that she agrees with the strike but is also worried about its impact on the learners.
“But also I am concerned about the kids because I am a teacher,” she said. However, she feels striking is the only option for her cry to be heard.
“It is unfair from our employers’ side, and we feel negligent, which is why we resort to industrial action,” another educator at the John Pandeni constituency told The Villager.
Another said she was excited to vote and exercise her right.
“I feel like finally, we get a chance to exercise our right because it has been long since we did not hear from the ministry regarding salary increase, it has been seven years now, and nothing has happened.”
Another teacher said the workers need a salary rise soon and that they can’t wait to strike. “We can’t wait to strike. We are tired!” he lamented.
“I am looking at the queue, there are also people that are lined up, and some are still coming, so I think everything will go well,” another civil servant said after casting her vote.
The polling stations are still open, and voting will end on Friday.
A presiding officer at Katutura East constituency explained that for an employee to cast their vote, they needed to provide proof of identity and are ticked off at the payment roll during the process. This prevents them from coming to vote again.
Meanwhile, a government observer at Samora Machel constituency described the process as ‘smooth’.
“We haven’t experienced any challenges or hiccups with the people on the grounds or the public servants who came to vote,” said the observer.
By 11h00, about 50 civil servants had cast their votes at the Katutura Central constituency in Windhoek. Over a thousand cast their ballots at the Government Office Park Auditorium in Windhoek by midday.
In the coastal town of Walvis, at least 120 civil servants had cast their votes at the Walvis Bay Urban constituency office by 10h30.
At Katima Mulilo hospital polling station experienced a delay in kickstarting the voting process due to logistics issues; however, Elvis Petuho, a presiding officer at the area, expressed that although it was late, it looked ‘hopeful and promising’.
The voting process has also seen seven being sent away from the Khomasdal constituency because they were not from the region.
More than 100,000 government employees anticipated to strike after government again reaffirmed its position of insufficient funds for raising salaries on Tuesday.
Moreover, in a statement on Wednesday, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) member of parliament Yvette Araes said the party supports the strike by the public workers.
“Popular Democratic Movement Youth League advocates for a high degree of inclusivity and equal participation of the masses in Namibian politics to continuously advance the Namibian democracy,” said Araes.
Professor Joseph Diescho stressed that asking people to wait while the government bureaucracy grows by the day is either dishonest or insensitive.
Diescho added that government “sings” the song ‘There Is No Money’, yet the same government has enough money for state funerals and expensive state functions locally and internationally.
“It is not too late to do something if the government is serious and wishes to gain the trust of the civil servants,” he said.
This week, labour minister Utoni Nujoma warned that government is under no obligation to pay any public servant planning to strike.
The workers also demand a 25 per cent increase to qualifying amounts on housing subsidies, a 9 per cent increase in housing
allowances, a 10 per cent increase in transport for civil servants below management, and a N$7 per kilometre tariff increase.
Previously the unions revised their initial proposals for a basic salary; however, the government still did not consider it.
It has indicated that it was willing to make an offer on housing allowance, where management and staff members below the management cadre would get a 4.5 per cent increase.
In November 2021, finance minister lipumbu Shiimi said
unions should refrain from demanding salary increases when the economy is at its worst. At that time, Napwu and Nantu demanded that the government give public servants increments.
Shiimi expressed that the public finances are at the worst since Namibia’s independence due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pandemic saw more than 14 500 workers retrenched and
3,567 dying. Shiimi, then in April 2022, emphasised that salary
increases for civil servants would have dire consequences on Namibia’s ability to repay debt.
In the same month, President Hage Geingob informed the
civil servants that there was no money during his state of the nation address (SONA).
Education minister Anna Nghipondoka stated that individual learning support is challenging, and teachers’ striking will worsen the situation.
Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA), secretary general Kavihuha Mahongora, said the government’s position would not shake their resolve to strike.
