Steve Nashama
Following the countrywide strike of the National Housing Enterprise’ employees today, the employees downed tools, and said they will continue with the strike after getting no response from management.
Secretary General of the Public Service Union of Namibia, Matheus Haakuria, in a telephonic interview with Windhoek Observer said the NHE is a highly dysfunctional organization after failing to address the matter.
“If the company says no but the union says yes, the strike is going on,” he added.
Employees are demanding a seven percent increment.
This morning at the poorly attended strike, this publication caught up with some NHE employees who stood outside the company’s headquarters in Eros, Windhoek, where they expressed dissapointment in the NHE management. The workers said they would not work until they receive a positive response, adding that they do not believe the company does not have money to increase their salaries.
“The way the management handles employees’ issues is just worrisome. How can we work if they don’t care for us, and not responding to our demands?” remarked one of the workers.
Yesterday, Haakuria said the union had also written to the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni about the matter but no response came from him.
Urban and Rural Development Minister Uutoni today indicated that he receives many letters, adding that he might have responded.
“There is a board and management. You should find out from the chairperson of the board or the CEO of the NHE,” Uutoni said.
Today NHE only announced that the salaries for the month of February have been delayed due to some technical issues including the salaries for executives, managers, and staff members. However, the salaries will be paid tomorrow, adding that it was not an intentional act of management.
Efforts to get comments from the chairperson of the board and the company’s CEO proved futile.
