Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna) has criticised the decision by the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs to make HIV testing and Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for all recruits.
The ministry is in the process of recruiting 1 500 new cadets, and is currently under fire for requiring potential recruits to have both HIV and Covid-19 negative results.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, union secretary general Mahongora Kavihuha said they oppose such requirements.
He said no employer should include discriminatory conditions in the hiring process.
“We are very disturbed by the action of the Namibian government by deliberately undermining the legal instruments we have in the country,” Kavihuha said.
He said Namibia last year appeared before a committee of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on violations, involving discrimination, which specifically relates to people with HIV-AIDS across all sectors, including defence forces.
“The Namibian government, which we hope includes the ministry of defence, through the minister of labour, seemed to have shown some remorse and made a commitment not to repeat this kind of discrimination, and then made an appeal for technical assistance from the ILO, and they have agreed to assist,” he said.
Kavihuha said there have been several meetings between ILO technical teams, the government, trade unions and employer representatives.
“Through these meetings various shortcomings and interventions were identified. These include, among others, the harmonisation of recruitment requirements in the public service to avoid discrimination on the basis of HIV-AIDS,” he said.
Kavihuha said: “While we are on the verge of putting all these in place, surprisingly and shockingly we are seeing the defence ministry doing exactly what brought the country before the committee of experts of the ILO using very lousy and unscientific reasons.
“Our call is for them to retract those recruitment requirements because they are discriminatory, unscientific, shallow and unproven.”
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