Business Reporter
THE Chinese company that was awarded the tender to construct the Hosea Kutako Road Dual Carriageway has conceded to workers’ demands and agreed to provide them with 27 months of backpay, which had been withheld since the commencement of the project.
This backpay, however, is not related to the payment of salaries but rather an additional payment promised to the workers at the beginning of the project, which was not fulfilled. As a result, the workers went on strike this week.
In a press statement, the Metal and Allied Workers of Namibia announced that after a tense and lengthy day of deliberations with AVIC International lawyers and management, the Central Regional Team of the union concluded a Collective Agreement with the management of Avic International regarding the issues that led the employees to go on strike this morning.
“The employees will receive their 27 months of backpay, and no disciplinary actions will be taken against any employees who participated in the work stoppage. The employees are expected to resume work tomorrow. Labour unrest is a common occurrence on all Chinese projects compared to local contractor sites of the same size. The Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union will continue to expose these unfair labour practices occurring on all Chinese project sites in the country,” the union said.
They further added that Chinese contractors are highly favoured by the government at the expense of Namibian contractors and their employees.
“Namibian workers who have been employed for more than 20 years in their companies are being retrenched and exposed to precarious work created by Chinese contractors, with assistance from the government and state-owned enterprises. Namibian workers who are voters of the government are being left jobless, while Chinese workers, who don’t vote, are favoured by the government,” the union said.
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