A strike by workers at Namibia’s state owned rail and road utility, TransNamib, spilled into its seventh day on Wednesday after workers defied a government and management directive to return to work, APA has learned.
The strike has virtually paralyzed the transport sector and raised fears that it might have a negative impact on the mining sector, the mainstay of the economy.
By Wednesday morning, defiant workers had not returned to work despite threats by management to institute legal action if the workers continued with the crippling industrial action.
The government has issued a stern warning to unions and the striking workers, ordering them to return to work immediately or risk legal action.
Minister of public works and transport Helmut Angula said that “the actions of the union and their leaders amount to economic sabotage, which is a serious threat to the national security of the country.â€
But the workers have dug-in, demanding that the TransNamib board of directors reverse the suspension of Chief Executive Officer Titus Haimbili.
“Haimbili has brought many changes to this company since his appointment, changes which were not there before,†said Aloys Katjito, a worker at TransNamib.
The strike has hit hard the fuel supply chain in Namibia amid fears that if it continues, the economy might be severely affected. TransNamib is the major transporter of fuel from the Atlantic Ocean port of Walvis Bay into most towns in the country.
Angula, whose ministry is seemingly at a loss on how to deal with the striking workers, admitted that the strike had “affected the Namibian economy and has therefore caused enormous destruction in the business transactions.â€
Source African Press Agency
