Africa-Press – Namibia. NEWLY appointed CEO of the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor) Clive Gawanab is currently seeking a permanent solution for the company’s more than 400 employees at Walvis Bay.
The employees were on a six-month contract with Venmar Fishing, after formerly being employed at Seaflower Pelagic Processing (SPP).
However, due to the souring relationship between Fishcor and SPP, in 2020, Fishcor’s interim board moved the employees over to Tunacor Fishing, where they were temporarily employed in exchange for 4 000 metric tonnes of its horse mackerel quota.
In April 2021, the employees were then moved to Venmar in exchange for a 10 000 metric tonnes of horse mackerel, on a fixed term contract.
That agreement lapsed on 31 December 2021 and the employees have since not received any income.
Gawanab met with the employees on Thursday at Walvis Bay.
“I am still familiarising myself with what was involved so that we have a new dispensation for those workers,” he told The Namibian.
He added that there is no solution yet, but he was engaging several companies at Walvis Bay to take the employees in.
“We are working on a solution to take care of these workers. We have not thrown them out on the street. It is our concern as a government institution to find a solution,” said Gawanab.
Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau) Erongo regional representative Johannes Shayuka confirmed the meeting and added that the union will not put pressure on the Fishcor CEO to come up with a solution or demand that Fishcor should pay January salaries.
“As a union, we cannot demand anything because these employees were not employed by someone in January. What we are saying is, as long as Fishcor is engaging they must also include something for January. But we don’t have the jurisdiction to force anyone, because the workers did not have a contract,” said Shayuka.
Gawanab commenced duty on 10 January. Fishcor interim board chairperson Mihe Gaomab said the board has set out seven key performance indicators for Gawanab.
The CEO is expected to have the company’s integrated strategic business plan approved as per the Public Enterprise Governance Act, to engage stakeholders, especially the fisheries ministry, in strategic discourse and strengthen institutional relations between Fishcor and its holdings and subsidiaries, Gaomab said.
Gawanab is also expected to do a re-branding exercise to restore the company’s image which has been tainted by what is now referred to as the Fishrot corruption case.
“Financial prudence and sustainability [will be] based on quotas and income-generating activities from its holdings and associated subsidiaries. Resolving legal complexities and legal diligence of its commercial and financial rights and obligations,” added Gaomab.
Gawanab is also expected to appoint a new executive team, as key positions were left vacant as a result of resignations over the past two years.
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