Marcia, a security officer and member of NAMIBIA SECURITY WORKERS UNION (NASWU), worked for Rossington Mines (a Chinese owned company), and has been in dispute with her employers since September 2023. She needs to raise N$ 19800.00 (about £800 UK sterling) to continue her campaign. Marcia was victimised and dismissed after she made complaints about safety in the workplace. She has been fighting her case through the Equity Commissioner and Employment Commissioner with no cooperation from her employer, and was subsequently dismissed in June 2024, after a drawn out hearing, for seeking publicity for her case. She is now waiting for a date for arbitration. Other employees are being threatened with dismissal if they join the union. This is an important battle for trade union rights in Namibia and for international trade unionism. Protests are taking place outside Chinese embassies on 9th November – please support this if you can. Please consider making a donation to – Namibia Security Workers Union, Katutura Branch, Bank Windhoek Ltd, account number – SAV 2000565300, branch code 482-972, swift code BVVLINANX.
MARCIA’S PLAN OF ACTION, which needs to be taken by 8th November 2024.
- All the 23 employees who signed the Rule 5 of the Labour act (Rules relating to the conduct of
conciliation and Arbitration) must be present on the day of Arbitration, However the Employer
(Eagle Night Watch Security Services) only granted leave to 4 employees out of 23 employees,
knowing that the 4 employees they picked are weak and not as vocal as the rest. - We decided to forcefully enforce the employer to grant leave to all the 23 employees. The NASWU
President Saddam Amushelelo will therefore delegate The General Secretary Mikka Joseph and two
other comrades to execute the plan in Swakopmund as of 6th – 8th November 2024. Mikka will first
be attending a Labour case in the North (Outapi) morning hours and join us the in the evening. - On the 6th and 7th we already have to be on our grounds knowing that all our members will be
present in the arbitration proceedings, However we will have to encourage all the other workers to
join us on the 8th November 2024 and stand in solidarity knowing that “ VICTORY TO ONE IS
VICTORY TO ALL” - In addition to all, we will enforce the Labour commissioner to do a site visit to the mine in our
presence and of the effected employees. This will require us to have our own transport to avoid
unfavorable situations such as scarcity of transport if comes to visiting the mine. - In conclusion we will lodge an official protest to the Labour commissioner against the thread which
Eagle night Watch is placing on the employees that some will be retrenched next year, whilst they
have just recruited 15 new employees.