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Union brandishes People Power!

The National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) has threatened to influence Namibian Consumers to Boycott products of companies that flout Labour Laws and Exploit Workers. Read more on Mywage Namibia

By Moses Magadza

The National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) has threatened to influence Namibian consumers to boycott products of local and multinational companies that flout labour laws and exploit workers.

Speaking at a press conference in Naimibia in February. the union’s secretary-general Evilastus Kaaronda alleged that some companies were exploiting Namibian workers and warned of targeted boycotts.

Kaaronda named a few companies he said were exploiting workers by not employing them permanently or not paying them market-related salaries.

“The NUNW resolved to instruct all its structures to mobilise workers across the country, so that they gear them up for a national consumer boycott. This boycott will be aimed at forcing companies to employ our members on a permanent basis and to pay them salaries commensurate with market trends,” he said.

Not the first time

This is not the first time that a labour union has threatened to use people power to force employers to yield to workers’ demands in Southern Africa.

Across the border in South Africa the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in January threw its weight behind striking Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) members employed by Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI). The workers were asking for a salary increase of 9.5% and an end to labour broking. The company was offering only 8.3%.

“COSATU calls on all South Africans to boycott all ABI products in support of the workers who have been on a month-long strike. The Federation is also urging all those who consume the products of ABI's parent company, SA Breweries, to support the striking workers by refraining from buying its products since it has refused to settle the demands of the workers,” said Mluleki Mntungwa, COSATU's Communications Officer then.

On Monday Kaaronda took a swipe at the country’s judiciary, alleging that some judges were presiding over matters in which they had vested interests. He called for a reform of the judicial system.

“We believe that there cases decided by our courts which, if tested properly, can reveal certain traces of bias towards or in favour of the aforesaid,” he said.

When the Supreme Court overturned a High Court ruling banning labour brokers in December last year, NUNW bristled with indignation, dismissing the judgement as “counter-revolutionary”, “anti-people”, “insensitive”, “humiliating”, “unpatriotic”, “ reactionary” and a “calculated political move”.

This annoyed the Society of Advocates of Namibia, which took exception to the register in which the union had expressed its disquiet over the judgement.

NUNW was formed in 1971 by the now governing South West Africa People’s Organisation, with which it has maintained close ties.