Africa-Press – Namibia. SOME ward contractors at the City of Windhoek downed tools yesterday demading of better working conditions.
One of the employees, Padelia Hamukwaya (54), has been working on short-term contract for the city since 1999.
“When we started working for the municipality, we did not get any benefits, no pension, nor medical aid and we got N$3 300. For the past 24 years I have been on contract employment without any benefits,” she said.
“We are just struggling, taking loans and struggling to pay them back because the salary is never enough. That is why we are demanding permanent employment.”
Eliya Ndikureepo (56) has been with the city since 2006. Ndikureepo told The Namibian yesterday that he is tired of working with no safety net.
There was a time that workers were due to receive benefits such as transport allowance and medical aid, but this did not materialise.
“The municipality only hires us on monthly contracts and once the contract expires they renew or they get rid of us.
“We want the City of Windhoek to give us permanent employment like everyone else because we are hard working, we are the ones that find dumped babies, firearms and all kinds of things that can be harmful,” he said.
Ndikureepo said life has become so expensive that he cannot afford a fridge and is forced to buy food in small portions.
Group spokesperson Mbenda Immanuel said that they want permanent employment because their salaries are too little to even qualify for loans.
“We work so hard for this city, we are the ones that make sure that Windhoek still maintains its status of being one of the cleanest cities on the continent, but the municipality does not regard that as important,” he said.
There are workers who retired without a pension, Immanuel said. He does not want he and his colleagues to end up in the same situation.
Meanwhile, City of Windhoek spokesperson Harold Akwenye said the strike is illegal.
“None of the authorities have been informed about this specific strike, and as of 07h00 this morning, the ward contractors have been gathering in front of the head office and we had no prior knowledge of such gathering and no official communication of such gathering.”
As far as the City of Windhoek is concerned, the demonstration amounts to abandonment of work and/or being absent from work without permission, said Akwenye.
“They wanted to hand over a petition but we decided not to accept the petition because we can’t make a wrong a right.
If we accept the petition it means that we are acknowledging the demonstration,” he said.
“We had to inform them to go back and regroup and go through all the channels to have such a demonstration and we will gladly receive and acknowledge the petition they want to hand over.”
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
