About 38 employees of the Namibia Industrial Development Agency (NIDA) at the Naute Dam irrigation scheme on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest, demanding salary increments.

In an interview with Nampa on Wednesday, Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (NAFAU) Keetmanshoop branch organiser, Rosalia Albert said the protest comes after NAFAU and NIDA failed to reach an agreement on wage negotiations that took place in May 2023.

‘Following the deadlock between the union and NIDA, as the company was offering zero per cent increase the case went to the labour commission and it was not resolved, of which a voting was done and all the workers voted for the strike,’ she added.

Among the workers’ demands are a 12 per cent salary increment, N.dollars 2 500 minimum wage for seasonal workers, N.dollars 300 transport allowance and N.dollars 500 housing allowance.

Godfried Piette, a shop steward said for the past two years the workers have not received any salary increase.

‘The cost of living is high. Before we used
to get salary increment every year, however for the past two years, we have not received any, that is the reason we decided to strike even if it means we will not get paid while we are striking. We are making money for this company and they do not want to increase our salary, that is not fair at all,’ he said.

The workers vowed to protest until their demands are met.

Approached for comment, NIDA Naute Dam irrigation scheme farm manager, Simon Akwenye said: ‘All salary negotiations are taking place in Windhoek between NIDA and the union, we are in negotiation with the union on the way forward, I am not at liberty to say what is going on right now, however we are engaging the union.’

Source: The Namibia Press Agency