Napwu Demands Reinstatement of Worker

Magreth Nunuhe

23 May 2011

Windhoek — The Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) is demanding the immediate re-instatement of a Telecom Namibia (TN) suspended employee.

The union is threatening “unspecified” action against the company if it does not meet the demand.

In a strongly-worded statement, Jacob Ramoswaane, chairman of Napwu Telecom branch, likened top managements’ alleged victimisation and intimidation of employees who give information to the media to the apartheid era.

“This is intimidation of the highest order in an independent Namibia,” he told about 100 employees who gathered outside the Teleshop entrance at TN head quarters last Friday.

The meeting was called just a day after Percy Ukondja Tjahere, Senior Manager: Customer Contact Centre at TN, was suspended for “breach of the Internal Communication Procedures” pursuant to an article titled “Tension brewing over jobs at Telecom” that appeared in the Namibian Sun newspaper last Thursday.

More suspensions were expected against all employees mentioned in the article who had complained about “favouritism, discrimination and lack of transparency” in appointing senior managers.

Those who might face the music are Raymundo Pahula, Senior Manager: Network Planning & Development and Obed Heita, an electrical engineer. But when approached for comment, the two said they had not been served with suspension letters.

Ramoswaane said although the appointments of senior managers on first and second level does not fall within the bargaining unit of the union, “those appointments have severe impact on us if not done according to the policies and framework of the so-called restructuring”.

He said the positions of chiefs were advertised internally and externally but apparently, there were no successful candidates from outside. Hence, general managers, who were mismanaging TN for the past five years were appointed to those positions.

He pointed out that some of the managers were demoted in the past, others did not have required qualifications but were appointed without any conditions. He said management had agreed to change GMs’ contracts to five years, but the company apparently ignored the agreement by appointing chiefs on a permanent basis.

“This is total disrespect of the union as the stakeholders and taking Telecom Namibia for a ride. We shall no more condone management’s arrogant behaviour to run Telecom Namibia as their shebeens or cucashops,” he said, adding that lower level employees were the ones affected by past retrenchments because labour costs remained high as top positions increased.

Ramoswaane disclosed that for 2009/2010 financial year, employees did not receive salary increases because of “ill-timed and improper investment decisions” made by top management and board of directors who take money from Namibia and invest in Angola and South Africa.

TN apparently invested close to N$500 million during the last five years but no returns were forthcoming and no one was held accountable for the losses while the managers were reappointed.

He said under Theo Mberirua’s leadership, Telecom was in a sound financial position but the situation has deteriorated with the appointment of Frans Ndoroma as managing director. “We want the Telecom that was lead by Mberirua,” he chanted.

The Napwu TN chairman, revealed that they had written a letter to TN board chairman, Josef Iita to put on hold all senior appointments, but management seemingly continued to appoint chiefs and heads.

He said they would meet management on May 30 and would be in close contact with the employees on the way forward. “We will not embark on an illegal strike, we will follow procedure.”

Willem Kapukare, fulltime shop steward at TN, said employees have requested management to hold a mass meeting but the request has been turned down. “Management have become Goliaths,” he charged

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