By: Kelvin Chiringa
The Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union has hit at the Swapo youth wing for hijacking its demonstration in which it sought to stop the Hosea Kutako tender process.
Although SPYL later pulled away from the demonstration at the last hour, MANWU’s Justina Jonas exclusively told this publication that they had come announced and issued out a poster to join the demo.
In response, SPYL information secretary Gerson Dumeni said they, “solicited the necessary basis or premise warranting,” their participation in the march.
This will be the second time that a poster for a demo in the name of SPYL is published with nothing being done, as the same thing occurred when a protest was called out against The Namibian in connection with a satirical cartoon of Swapo big-wig, Sophia Shaningwa.
Jonas said they picked the wind off social media that the youth wing was summoned to state-house before it called off the solidarity demo.
“It was an internal decision, employers agreed to join but these colleagues we don’t know how they came in, there was no consultation. We don’t know the content of the (state-house) meeting. It’s worrisome that we don’t do things inclusively. In the future we need to avoid this.”
“The leadership is worried. It is asking is there any hidden agenda. We have no interest in politics. This should not happen in the future. There are structures which should be followed. It’s their right but they were never invited,” she said.
In the meantime, the union has petitioned the Roads Authority, Finance Ministry and Works against what they call a loss of jobs by locals at the expense of outsider-companies.
As such it wants the tender process halted until there are better conditions that creates an equal play field for local companies to participate.
Manwu’s concerns are wide-ranging and stem from observations that foreign corporates were not investing into capacity building for local SMEs, source building materials from outside, import local food and do not support local service providers.
“We noted that foreign contractors, especially the Chinese firms, are financially supported by their government but still they ruthlessly exploit Namibian workers and pay them less than our Namibian contractors,” said the union in its petition.
Despite bringing these concerns before the feet of government many a time, Manwu said it has been ignored while local companies who treat them with dignity have been sidelined.
“We want to point out that local contractors do not receive any financial support from our government and most survive on bank loans to pay their employees’ wages when payment is delayed by government. Delayed payment by our government sometimes means that they are forced to send their employees home with half-salaries or no salaries at all,” lamented the union.
That many opportunities were being denied locals is disturbing, the union stamped, and accused government of blatant favoritism.
Manwu said government was messing with the future of this generation and enriching other countries without defending national interests.
What Manwu wants
The union wants the bidding process halted and pre-qualification conditions for the Hosea Kutako dual carriage-way to be redesigned in favour of locals.
They also demand that local companies be continuously provided with all big capital projects and that a workers’ representative be on the Public Procurement Board.
The union further demands that all loan conditions between government and lenders to be revised and realigned to favour local companies.
The RA, finance and works ministry have until the 12th of March to respond to these demands.
