2,483 ex-fishermen absorbed through government employment redressing programme

Maria David

THE Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources has absorbed all 2,483 ex-fishermen affected in the Hake and Horse Mackerel sub-sectors.

This was revealed by Minister Derek Klazen during a media briefing on the status of employment of fishermen under the government employment redressing programme in the fishing industry.

According to Klazen, out of the ex-fishermen, a total of 550 are in the horse mackerel and 1,933 in the hake sub-sector, against a tonnage of 18,370 MT of Hake and 16,500 MT of horse mackerel.

Klazen explained that this was done as per the Cabinet Decision. Cabinet resolved and directed the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation to secure full-time and permanent employment for specified former NAMSOV employees and those who lost their employment within the fishing industry during 2015.

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“The Cabinet Directives were implemented fully. All affected fishermen have been employed,” he stressed.

He added that in terms of the agreements, the performance of the designated companies is assessed to determine whether there is full compliance.

In this instance, Klazen said they found companies to be fully compliant, with a few exceptions of challenges they picked up along the way, which are receiving utmost attention.

“Some of the challenges being experienced include limited employment opportunities within the fishing industry, resulting in non-gainful employment of the fishermen,” he added.

He added that there also exists a feeling of entitlement among the fishermen and a disrespectful attitude towards employers, resulting in the employees dictating the type of work they want to do, work stations, and continuously threatening employers with mass resignation and mass demonstrations, claiming that the quota belongs to them.

However, he said the designation agreements do not afford fishermen the right to choose where to be placed, as the agreements only require the placement of fishermen wherever an opportunity for placement arises.