Africa-Press – Namibia. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah yesterday met leaders of recognised trade unions at State House in Windhoek.
They agreed to jointly host May Day with employers, in a landmark move aimed at strengthening unity, improving workers’ rights and boosting economic growth.
The high-level engagement, held just weeks before Workers’ Day, brought together government, labour representatives and key stakeholders to chart a new approach to commemorating the important day.
Speaking during the meeting, Nandi-Ndaitwah stressed that Workers’ Day must reflect a shared national effort rather than being led by labour alone.
“I really want to see a day organised where we are appreciating the workers’ contribution to the economy. That cannot just be done by the workers themselves, but the employers must play a role,” she said.
She added that the government had already taken a Cabinet decision that the event should be organised on a tripartite basis involving workers, employers and the State.
The President said she had immediately accepted an invitation from unions to attend the event but insisted on broader collaboration.
“I say accept, but let the government, the workers, and the employers jointly organise the day,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also called for visible participation from companies, urging employers to bring their workers to the celebrations.
“I’m really looking to a celebration where even the employers have to bring their employees and dress them in their corporate attire so that they are part of the process,” she said.
The meeting comes at a critical time as Namibia prepares to mark Workers’ Day, a globally recognised event celebrating labour rights and contributions to economic development.
The day is commemorated on 1 May every year.
Speaking on behalf of the unions after the meeting, seasoned unionist Job Muniaro described the engagement as one of the most productive discussions.
“That was one of the best meetings we had with the President. May Day is one of the days that are very historical, not just for Namibian workers, but for workers across the world,” he said.
Muniaro said the agreement to organise the event jointly marks a historic shift in how Workers’ Day will be commemorated in Namibia.
“I think that will be a very historical May Day, as it is going to be tripartite, arranged by government, employers’ federation and the trade union federations,” he stated.
He added that the approach would strengthen unity and reinforce the importance of workers in driving the economy.
Beyond the celebrations, unions also used the platform to highlight ongoing workplace challenges affecting productivity and growth.
“In most cases, it’s the issue of discipline. We have people that come late to work, and it contributes to the delay of the growth of the economy,” he said.
At the same time, he criticised employers for failing to invest adequately in training and skills development.
“We have challenges of training, reskilling and upskilling in some companies. Some companies do not train their workers or introduce them properly to their work,” he said.
He stressed that skills development is essential for both productivity and fair wage negotiations.
This year’s Workers’ Day will be held under a theme, ‘Focusing on reskilling, upskilling and value addition’. These issues, government and labour leaders say, are key to job creation and sustainable economic growth.
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