A court already sided with the workers, yet Otjiwarongo Municipality is still sitting on over N$30 million in unpaid salary adjustments from a 2014 directive.
The original 2014 salary directive
The original 2014 salary directive
- A ministry letter told six municipalities to bump C4 salaries by N$7,475.
- C4 was the lowest pay grade, sitting below the minimum entry level.
- Only one technical-engineer role in the D band qualified for an upgrade.
- No blanket promotion of D1 and D2 employees to D3 was authorized.
- D1 and D2 bands got abolished and rolled into D3 instead.
- C4 workers only saw roughly N$2,000 in adjustments.
- Sem Tuaanda says he didn't even hear about the directive until 2017.
- Shop stewards were never looped in to spread the word.
- Workers dragged the municipality to the Labour Court in 2021.
- Last year's ruling ordered full implementation and back pay.
- Tuaanda, now retired, says his N$1.7 million remains unpaid.
- Another anonymous employee claims the municipality owes them N$1.4 million.
- CEO Mberipura Hifitikeko called the employees unnecessary last Thursday.
- Hifitikeko acknowledged the court award but cited an ongoing case.
- Workers allege the previous CEO actively blocked C4 raises.
- Ministry officials reportedly told staff to handle it internally.
