Africa-Press – Namibia. The Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau) has demanded an urgent government bailout to save Seaflower and protect local jobs from collapse.
Seaflower, a subsidiary of the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor), has been struggling financially due to a combination of reduced fishing quotas allocated by the government, the lasting effects of the Fishrot corruption scandal, historical debt and legal challenges.
These challenges have put pressure on Seaflower’s operations, threatening the sustainability of its workforce.
Nafau has engaged the Lüderitz-based fishing company Seaflower Pelagic Processing board and government officials, demanding urgent action to rescue the fishing company and secure enough fishing quota to sustain operations.
Nafau regional coordinator Matheus Simon says these efforts involve a broad coalition, including local and regional political leaders, but so far, no positive response has been received.
“Nafau stands with the workers, demanding clarity and decisive intervention from both Seaflower management and the government,” Simon told The Namibian on Tuesday.
He called on the government to help repair idle vessels so the company can operate at full capacity and avoid possible job losses that would worsen local unemployment.
Simon urged that all temporary employees be made permanent and that Seaflower pay bonuses to help workers cope with rising inflation.
“The government must stabilise Seaflower and resource it sufficiently to enable growth and secure the workforce’s future with dignity and security,” he said.
“Our expectation from the government is that it must take responsibility by safeguarding jobs through decisive intervention. That means securing enough quota for Seaflower to sustain operations and ensuring workers are not forced into unemployment because of delays or neglect.”
Fishcor chief executive Alex Gawanab told The Namibian on Tuesday that the company currently employs 703 workers. Of those, 537 are permanent and 166 are on fixed-term contracts.
“Due to the seasonal variability of our business compounded by our precarious financial position, the company is unable to give permanent roles to temporary workers.”
According to Gawanab, the total allowable catch determined by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has been declining, with corresponding reduction of quotas allocated to companies including Fishcor.
Gawanab said Fishcor finds itself in a double dilemma of both the Fishrot aftermath and reduced quotas. Despite this, he said, the company has largely stabilised and remains on a transformation trajectory after recently completing its integrated strategic business plan.
“Notwithstanding the above, the company continues to bleed financially from historical debt as well as ongoing legal cases that are there as a result of the Fishrot case,” he said.
“It is important to note that while Fishcor receives a quota allocation from the government, the institutional and financial damage caused by the historical maladministration of funds, as well as with the unpaid debt, the company is at risk of not being able to sustain the current labour force, especially the casuals, unless the government intervenes,” he said.
He added that to date, no permanent employee has been laid off.
Gawanab said while a financial injection will be a relief, the settlement of outstanding debts and waiving of outstanding levies may go a long way in bringing more relief.
“This will allow the company to re-direct financial priorities toward vessel and factory maintenance, as well as clearing outstanding debt. We are continuously engaging our line ministry in this regard and in constant consultation with trade unions to find an amicable solution,” he said.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
