Africa-Press – Namibia. SWAKOP Uranium near Arandis has dismissed allegations that it is paying employees who are working overtime with food vouchers, saying these vouchers were an additional incentive.
This comes after allegations that the mine was paying employees who volunteer to work overtime with food vouchers while it awaits labour ministry exemption to have employees work in special shift arrangements in accordance with continuous operations.
The previous exemption agreement expired on 21 March, and the mine and the Mineworkers’ Union of Namibia (MUN) are yet to agree on new terms.
For the past three weeks, the mine has been asking volunteers to work weekend shifts.
The mine’s vice president for human resources Patrick Chizabulyo refuted claims that the employees were paid with food vouchers.
“This is incorrect, as the employees were paid overtime as per the Labour Act. Moreover, additional incentives such as meal vouchers were provided for the employees,” said Chizabulyo.
Chizabulyo, without giving figures, said the mine has incurred significant production and financial losses because of the stoppage of continuous operations.
In a request letter for exemption to the minister of labour, seen by The Namibian, the mine’s chief executive officer Qiu Bin, claims that it is left with two options – either to briefly suspend operations or partially operate within the parameters of the Labour Act.
He further explains that the first option is not advisable, as the main production sections cannot be left unmanned due to safety and operational risks that may arise from disruptions in operations.
“The acid plant in particular requires continuous operations given the safety related to considerations for keeping the molten sulfur in storage tanks in form and the critical legal equipment manned at all times…,” says Qiu .
Qiu further explains that the mine’s acid plant circulates massive volumes of chemical and flammable solutions, which require manning, and stopping the acid plant would pose a major safety risk.
According to Qiu, the company opts to operate partially, within the statutory limitations of the Labour Act while waiting for the outcome of its application.
Swakop Uranium and the workers are set to iron out their disagreement over the continuous operations this week.
The two parties met last week and the union submitted its substantive demands to the mine management.
MUN Erongo regional coordinator George Ampweya said the union is waiting for the mine management’s response this week.
“This move is welcomed by the union, as initially management’s strategy was to merely consult the union as opposed to entering into a process of negotiation,” said Ampweya.
He described the mine’s tactic of using employees to work over weekends in exchange for food vouchers an insult to Namibians.
“We, therefore, call upon our members to reject any attempts by management to lure them into working overtime in the absence of a collective instruction emanating from the ongoing negotiations,” he said.
Ampweya also advised the ministry of labour not to grant the exemption pending the outcome of the current internal processes.
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