Africa-Press – Namibia. STAKEHOLDERS in the fishing industry are participating in a labour sensitisation workshop based on the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No.188), which started on Monday at Walvis Bay.
The convention is aimed at Namibia’s commitment to addressing issues such as a minimum wage for work on a fishing vessel, medical standards, work agreements, occupational health and safety, as well as social security in the fishing industry.
Although Namibia ratified the convention in 2018, it was found that not all stakeholders are aware of its content, its priorities for implementation, and the roles and responsibilities of the government, employers and workers.
Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) country office for Zimbabwe and Namibia Hopolang Phororo says the workshop was convened to address concerns in the industry and will sensitise relevant stakeholders to understand their roles and responsibilities.
Phororo says a study on work challenges and opportunities in the fisheries sector in Namibia, undertaken last year, highlighted some of the gaps.
“It identified the general lack of awareness of human rights due diligence among employers, with workers reporting dissatisfaction with working conditions, including wages, working hours, and overtime compensation,” she says.
Other challenges affecting decent work, according to Phororo, include the widespread use of temporary contracts and related lack of social security contributions, particularly on foreign-flagged vessels.
She says formal training capacity is also underutilised.
“Increased specialised training for upskilling would greatly enhance workers’ employability, including capacity for value-added processing activities in factories.”
National Union of Namibian Workers secretary general Job Muniaro agrees with Phororo in terms of the lack of knowledge of the convention.
“I don’t know whether it’s just the fisheries ministry and labour inspectors that know about the convention. Some of the workers in jurisdictions of vessels, I don’t know if many people know what this convention wants to achieve and what it entails.”
Muniaro says it’s not too late to bring awareness to ensure a better Namibian fishing sector.
The workshop ends today.
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