Union Wanting to Strike!

[Michael Alexander]

Chatter on the shop floor today is the grumblings over at the Union offices, seem's like the strike epidemic that has plagued so many other mines around the world is about to reach our shores!

In all honesty, I am not sure what the details of the differences may be, but I am sure we shall be hearing a lot more about issues soon!

Striking at the best of times should be seen as an absolute last resort for any organisation and sadly reflects the inability of two parties to reach common ground for the benefit of all!

Good Luck!

[Michael Alexander]

Tense times in our little town,

One thing that I must say, Well Done to O-FM , Was really glues to the wireless in the bulk store yesterday, in the morning we got to hear from the Union leadership their merits in the negotiations, then in the afternoon, Naftal did a most excellent job on inter viewing the Mine manager, Mr.Riaan Burger, valid points on both sides, not easy to solve, but at least the community had no reason to fire up that Rumour Mill, you got is straight from the horses mouth..... only on O-FM...

[Adriaan Van Rooyen]

Yawn...........

[Michael Alexander]

Seem's that a strike is around the corner, starting on Sunday/Monday I believe, awfully kind of the oppressed workers to wait until payday and a bonus before embarking with industrial action....

Already hearing from folks on the shop floor, whom are extremely worried about how they are going to be able to afford car payments come month end, there appears to be a lot of folk in the village that drive big fancy vehicles and a rather large portion of their income goes towards those payments...

What will be interesting is to see how many folk see the bonus payout as a "BONUS" and in due course blow it on meat and booze instead of keeping it for strike action time..... coz it will be tough!

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

The bonuses are all spent now, looks like a pay day weekend around town.
Lots of non Namdeb people spending their money to...?

[Michael Alexander]

Sources inform me that the Minister of Mines is on his way, seem's the gov does not want to follow the path of our neighbours in SA, ignoring the damage a strike does, not only for the local community, but rather the entire country..

Sometimes you wanna shout grow up people!

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

Two of the big demands by the Union is free medical and schooling.
The medical aid is heading for bankruptcy so I think the company will never go for free medical aid.
These 2 demands will cost the company a fortune and there will no way to stop abuse.

[Michael Alexander]

As far as I understand, after independence , new employees no longer had Free Schooling as a condition of employment....

Anyone confirm?

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

As far as I understand, after independence , new employees no longer had Free Schooling as a condition of employment....

Anyone confirm?

Confirmed, that's why the company does not want to talk about it, its not a condition of employment.

[Michael Alexander]

It would appear that the union is hellbent on striking and a strike shall begin at midnight tonight.

The issue of the schooling appears to have been dropped from the list of demands....

On a personal note, I always find it immature of unions to make DEMANDS!, it should rather be REQUESTS!!!!!

[Michael Alexander]

.... and the strike still drags on, much to the frustration of local business.......

[Michael Alexander]

Had to laugh this morning, got to drive past the Union Offices as the masses gathered..... now when you watch the newsreels of striking SA miners, the guys are walking everywhere........ you cans see poverty etched apon their faces....

Oranjemund Style.... Wow! what a nice collection of automobiles parked down at the Offices..... A lot of expensive double cabs, BMW's and other fancy cars...... Not one or two, easily thirty vehicles.....

Must be tough being oppressed by DeBeers.....   

[Adriaan Van Rooyen]

On my way to work this morning my wife and i encountered the speedcop around the corner nearby checkpoint,with the masses following behind,hehe needless to say she hed to execute a u turn right in front of the speedcop on the double lines ..hee  speedcop must have been fuming heheh and yeah Mike you forgot to add the mercs and bmw's,it must be hard to work for Namdeb ...indeed...   

[Michael Alexander]

Somebody sent me a press cutting!

"There is still no end in sight for the Namdeb strike which today enters day 12. The strike is costing the company and government N$10 million per day.

The Mine Workers Union of Namibia (MUN) branch at Oranjemund is accusing Namdeb of deliberately prolonging the strike, and it is therefore reverting back to its original demands.

After a proposed agreement last week that would have ended the strike fell through, neither of the parties have been able to reach an amicable solution.

The biggest problem the union said it has with the proposed three-year agreement is certain conditions they claim were never discussed with them before hand.

MUN Oranjemund Namdeb branch spokesman Matthew Nangombe claimed the company is deliberately prolonging the strike since last Friday by adding insisting on a three-year deal, when the union had agreed to a one-year agreement initially.

He said the three-year deal was "not favourable to the employees". Nangombe said as a result, the strike will continue. The company had offered a 9.5% increase across-the-board as part of the deal on the table last week.

It also offered to pay 80% of medical aid contributions and a 14% increase in terms of housing allowances for qualifying employees within the bargaining unit.

Workers were also offered a Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 1% increase for 2015 and 2016. The union is now reverting back to its original demand of a 15% increase on basic wages across all bands for employees. The union is also demanding other benefits, such as a school subsidy.

Workers are also demanding that the company's contributions for medical aid be increased up to 100%. They further want a 14% housing allowance.

Besides the housing allowance workers are also demanding that the company subsidise 85% of their children's school fees. "

[Mike Voden (RIP)]

What do the union want, BLOOD...........??????????? It seems to me also that the Namibian Unions are like sheep, following the unions here in South Africa