"Rosh Pinah mine disciplines workers over strike", 26 April 2017

About 320 employees of Rosh Pinah Zinc Corporation have been issued with final written warnings for participating in an illegal strike last Wednesday. Last week's strike was to protest against the alleged victimisation of workers who had participated in last year's industrial action.

During last week's strike, the workers had blocked the main entrance to the mine. In addition to the written warnings, the company would apply the 'no work no pay rule' for the days the workers were on strike.

Company spokesperson Kondja Kaulinge yesterday confirmed that the workers had returned to work on Friday morning after being given an ultimatum to resume their duties, or face dismissal

Mineworkers' Union of Namibia (MUN) regional executive Petersen Kambinda said the workers had agreed to the punitive measure of a final written warning, as proposed by the company during a meeting last Thursday, to resolve the stand-off.

“We agreed that all workers will be issued with final written warnings over the illegal strike after the company agreed that they too will be afforded an opportunity to raise the grievances of victimisation through the correct procedures, in line with the labour law,” explained Kambinda. He claimed that the company's refusal to listen to the workers' grievances had caused the illegal industrial action last Wednesday.