Thread: Is Government more loyal to Chinese than Namibian workers?

We live in intereting times. It's been stated in this community many times before, and on a number of threads: Chinese companies operating in Namibia (and many would argue throughout our Continent) do not abide by labour laws (and many other laws) and Governmnent is doing little about it. Are Namibian worker finally starting to stand up to Government and hold it to account? It'll be interesting to hear an official Government response to the situation. To date they have skirted the issue(s), have they not? Thi article appeared in The Namibian:

WORKERS and employers alike yesterday accused Government of being more loyal to Chinese than to Namibians on the first day of the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union's (Manwu) conference on challenges facing those working in the construction industry.

"We are suffering for the Chinese people," a construction company owner summarised complaints varying from slave wages, unfair labour practices, poor living conditions and allegations of physical beatings, to local companies losing tenders to the Chinese.

"Where are we heading if these [construction] industries are run by the minority of employers which are given tenders to exploit workers day and night?"

"What does our Government do to monitor the situation on the ground?" Manwu president Jacobus Shirunga wanted to know in his opening speech.

Participants were particularly irked by what they thought was the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare snubbing them.

Deputy Labour Minister Alpheus Muheua, who is still the president of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) too, failed to turn up for the official opening, despite his office confirming his attendance.

Labour expert Herbert Jauch, who facilitated the event, apologised to the audience, saying that it was due to "miscommunication within the Ministry".

Muheua yesterday afternoon told The Namibian that he would address the conference this morning.

Nobody from the Ministry of Labour turned up for yesterday's scheduled presentation and panel discussion of employment and living conditions of construction workers either, even though the speakers had confirmed their participation.

Manwu branch organiser for Khomas, Justine Jonas, called on Government's labour inspectors to be "more visible" and said the union and the Construction Industries Federation (CIF) should be consulted before tenders are awarded.

She said 60 per cent of the estimated 23 000 construction workers in Namibia are not paid the gazetted minimum wage of N$9,57 per hour at entry level.

They also have no fringe benefits like social security or pension, and have to work without legally required safety gear. Workers live in "harsh and dangerous" conditions and have no job security as many Chinese companies use a "hire and fire system", she said.

"Not a day goes by that two or three people are fired, mostly by the Chinese," Jonas said. She furthermore claimed that Chinese employers "are beating workers like it's nobody's business".

"This is no joke," Jonas said, calling the industry to unite.

Participant after participant wanted to know why Government awards tenders to Chinese companies that do not comply with the labour law. The CIF estimates that between 60 per cent and 70 per cent of construction tenders are awarded to Chinese companies.

Tender Board Secretary Welma Enssle responded by saying that labour issues fall outside the mandate of the board.

Although they are "not unsympathetic" to the problems faced by the local construction industry, it is up to the Ministry of Labour to act on complaints and give the relevant evidence through to the Tender Board.

One would expect ministries mandated to look at these issues "to take their task seriously", Enssle said. "Then the Tender Board would have a leg to stand on and do what everybody expects them to do," she said.

Huabiao Huang, one of the Chinese Construction Association's members attending the conference with a representative of the Chinese Embassy in Windhoek, referred to the high unemployment rate in Namibia, which, according to the latest official, but unreleased, labour survey, stands at 51 per cent. Huang said unskilled Namibians come to Chinese companies for work.

The Chinese believe that minimum wage must be based on minimum production, and they therefore pay workers according to how many square metres they finish or how many bricks they lay every day. Huang claim that the Chinese employers, however, train workers and that some of them have moved on to open their own small and medium enterprises.

"We are trying to do a business, trying to satisfy a client and trying to help workers getting skills," Huang said.