Workers are locked out in a brutal standoff over bonus payback. Namib Mills remains shut down with employees barred from depots nationally after a final proposal failed. The company offered a base pay raise to a certain level, plus a universal percentage increase, arguing their total wage costs would jump significantly.
Union head Petersen Kambinda called that math a fiction, stating the real salary increase is only the basic percentage. The Namibian Revolutionary Transport and Manufacturing Union, or Naretu, also clashed with management over December bonus calculations and backpay for participating workers.
Kambinda accused supervisors of unfairly targeting staff with write-ups to slash their holiday bonuses. The company's latest offer claims verbal warnings will not impact bonuses, but it explicitly denies those payments to anyone who joined the strike action.
Striking employees would also receive reduced backpay compared to their working colleagues. A Namib Mills human resources representative stated that including bonuses in bargaining made it impossible to pay them to striking workers.
Union head Petersen Kambinda called that math a fiction, stating the real salary increase is only the basic percentage. The Namibian Revolutionary Transport and Manufacturing Union, or Naretu, also clashed with management over December bonus calculations and backpay for participating workers.
Kambinda accused supervisors of unfairly targeting staff with write-ups to slash their holiday bonuses. The company's latest offer claims verbal warnings will not impact bonuses, but it explicitly denies those payments to anyone who joined the strike action.
Striking employees would also receive reduced backpay compared to their working colleagues. A Namib Mills human resources representative stated that including bonuses in bargaining made it impossible to pay them to striking workers.
